Scarlet: A Blue Angel
by Shadow3Zamorez
Summary: This is a story about an emotionless boy and his "true colors" being reignited by a unique female Lucario. Will the fall in love? Will they find other pokemon like her? And why is his emotions so dangerous? And what will happen as they eventually travel travel together?
1. Chapter 0: Prologue

**Hey guys, it's Manuel. I know it's been awhile since I last uploaded. I promised to reupload my chapters to fix some mistakes and improve the story for the readers! I hope you like the story and I apologize for the long, long wait.**

**Disclaimer: 1st of all, I don't own the rights to Delta Evolution; it was a concept originally invented by my new friend, ghostlyTrickster. I was allowed with his permission to use Delta Evolution in my story. Check out his latest work, Boundless Love: The Tale Of Athena.**

**Re Chapter 0: Bursts Of Emotion**

It's been only ten years since Prof. Rowan in the Sinnoh region first published his findings on Delta Evolution, a rare and unique process whereas pokemon get older, they take a more human form. Little is still know about this subject apart from the fact that it was first discovered in the Sinnoh region. And now... it was about to be discovered in the Unova region.

**\Pinwheel Forest...\**

Thunder roared across the sky as water was constantly pouring. The landscape was filled with tall, thick trees. The shouts of at least a dozen people could be heard.

"You can run, but you can't hide!"

"Has anyone caught it yet?!"

"I can't wait add this one to my collection!"

A riolu emerged from the bushes, but this one was different. For starters, she was almost a foot taller than the others, her paws were more like stubby fingers and toes. And her eyes weren't their normal red color, they were yellow. She was running as fast as her legs could carry her, stumbling every now and then. The tired pokemon hardly had the energy to stand. She had arrived at a clearing. On one end was a rocky cliffside.

(Another dead end...) She thought. (I need to find another way out of here, otherwise I'll never shake them loose...)

"Where are you hiding, you little bitch?" A feminine voice called out with frustration. It was one of her pursuers. By the sound of it, she was close.

(Too late!) The pokemon looked around for anything she could use to hide, but there was nothing. Just a steep, rocky cliff. Going around would just waste more time, as well as energy she didn't have.

(Guess I have no other choice...) Without any further hesitation, she grabbed a rock and started climbing. Once the riolu was about halfway up, she could hear rustling from the bushes. A women came out from the bushes. She wore a black trench coat and had a strange looking bionic arm, probably designed for catching pokemon. This was no ordinary woman, she was a pokemon hunter. The riolu froze when she saw the woman. The only sound made was that of the constant downpour.

"Fine then..." The woman sighed in frustration. In this weather tracking was almost impossible. She couldn't tell the tracks from the puddles. Her equipment wasn't any help, either.

"There's plenty of other pokemon I could sell, anyways." The pokemon's eyes were glued to the women as she continued to disappear back into the forest. The coast was now clear.

(She's gone now...) With that over, she took this opportunity to look out into the forest. Lights could be seen scattered across the entire area. They were from other trainers trying to search for her. One of which, was actually moving away from where the riolu was.

(Probably just the hunter...) Seven more could be seen faintly off in the distance. They weren't even close to finding her. Two were fairly close, but were going the wrong way. One was even closer.

(Eight, nine, ten, eleven lights...) She made a mental note of it then returned to her climbing, blissfully unaware that one more of her pursuers was already at the clearing. A teen with a red shirt and green camo shorts arrived from the bushes, followed by a garchomp. They both looked around only to see the clearing was empty.

"She's a tricky one, huh boy?"

"Gar-Gar. Garchomp garchomp, garchomp garchomp garchomp!" [No, she really isn't. I could've had her by now, if I didn't have to slow down for you!]

"Man, I wish I'd brought the flashlight..."

(Almost there… Just a little further…) As she kept climbing, she failed to notice the loose rock she was standing on. The rock gave way fell to the ground, getting the trainer's attention. He looked up at her with a satisfied smirk.

"There she is! Garchomp, use rock slide!" He commanded. The entire cliffside started to rumble and the rocks above were now glowing.

(They just don't quit...!)

The riolu had no where to go, and no choice but to brace herself for the assault. The rocks finally gave away. Her stomach was pelted with a few rocks and another few cut deeply into her arms and legs. The pain was enough to weaken her grip. But the worst of the damage was yet to come. Her entire face was battered with an even larger set of rocks. Her face was bleeding and her eye forced shut. Despite the crippling pain, she held on.

(Not yet... I'm so close...) With weak arms, the pokemon kept climbing. She arrived at the top and pulled herself over.

"I'm...free..." The pokemon took a pause for breath. All her hard work, and the abuse she endured from that woman just to achieve this. One of her irises turned a dull, lifeless grey. She lied there on her back, tired and exhausted.

"Free...!" The riolu cried out before fainting on the cold, wet ground.

"You useless dragon! can't you do anything right?!" The trainer scolded his pokemon.

"Gar-garchomp, garchomp garchomp garchomp!" [Oh, I'm sorry. How about you capture the pokemon, and I'll sit around scratching my ass all day and barking orders?!]

"...?"

"Garchomp..." [Thought so...]

"Alright, get back in the pokeball..."And with a flash of a red light, the garchomp was gone. The trainer gave up, returned the way he came.

**\Inside The House…\**

It was a peaceful, stormy night. Both parents were upstairs asleep, leaving their only son alone to watch TV in the living room. He wasn't by any means normal. He was always void of any expression, and his eyes were a dull grey. People just simply avoided him. You can't blame them though, His blank stare could easily rival Prof. Rowan's serious face any day.

"In recent news, a strange and rare pokemon was spotted heading towar—"

The boy turned off the TV. The news wasn't very interesting to him. Suddenly, the floor started to rumble. The pictures hanging from the wall rattled. He rolled off the couch and fell to the floor. When it was all over, he stood back up. It ended as fast as it started.

(A rockslide, maybe?) The boy thought to himself. He was about to head outside to check when he heard someone rushing downstairs.

"Hey, is everything alright? Nothing fall?" A man in light blue pajamas turned the corner. The boy's father had woken up. The child nodded in reply.

"Mm-hmm." The father sighed.

"Alright then. I'm gonna check out—" He was already at the door when he heard a cry from outside.

"Riii...!" The boy was the first to act, shoving his father aside. He was taken back by this, but decided to let it slide. He followed right behind his son. When he caught up, his son remained still.

"What's wro—" He went silent at what he saw, reacting the same way his son did. There, a few feet from the house, was a pokemon. A riolu to be exact. It laid there motionless, the blood washing away from the rain. His father looked over at his son, who was still silent. Something changed in him. His naturally expressionless face turned to one of worry and compassion. His eyes became turquoise and his face pale.

"Is it..." He didn't want to finish his sentence. Instead, he kneeled towards the riolu. His father took a closer look and assured him.

"Still breathing... Come on, let's get it inside." He was one step ahead of his father. The boy flipped it over to its side. That was when he got a better look at the pokemon. It's legs were coated in black fur while its arms were blue. This black mask similar to a blindfold. Even through all the damage, there was no mistaking its slender figure.

(It's a girl...) He scooped her up and carried her inside bridal style. As he brought her up the stairs, his eyes began to water. It felt like there was a lump in his throat.

(What did this to her...?)

His father was at a loss of words. His son was on the verge of tears. The same boy that was thought to be emotionless, was now crying over a pokemon he just found outside. And his irises were a different color. This has never happened before.

"...Take it to the guest room. I'll get the first-aid kit." The boy just glanced back at his father as if it were something he said. His son mumbled something under his breath.

"Her. She's a her..." But his father did not hear. As the two made it to the room, his father came back with the kit.

"Just set it on the bed." His son did as he was told, but gently. His eyes never wandered. It was like the boy was in a trance. He had to snap his son out of it.

"I need you to head into town and bring back a revival herb."

"B-But I..." He had a look of disappointment. It was only around a twenty minute trip there and back, but he wanted to stay by her side.

"Look, its not going to—"

"Will you stop calling her an it?! She's a girl for crying out loud!" The boy's voice cracked. His irises instantly flashed a muddy red, and his fists were clenched in anger. He was shooting an intense glare. The room became silent as the father tried to register what just happened.

"S-Sorry..." He said in an apologetic tone. His eyes turned yellow as he was realized who he was talking to. He left the doorway and bolt down the hall, waking his mother up in the process.

(What was that about?) His father thought. (I swear, that kid's possessed...)

"...Don't you have any idea what time it is?" His wife asked entering the room. It took her a minute to register that her son was missing. She was still completely oblivious to injured riolu. "Wait... where's Manny?"

"I just sent him to pick up some medicine. He'll be back soon, tho—"

"What?!" She cut him off, screaming frantically at the top of her voice. "You sent our twelve year old son out in the middle of the night to get medicine?!"

(Come to think if it, that was stupid...)

"Of all the stupid things!" She was just about to beat him senseless when she noticed their little house guest.

"...A pokemon?" She took a step closer to the bed. "And she's hurt pretty bad."

"Yeah, a riolu. I found it outside."

"You mean her." She corrected.

"Oh come on! How can you guys even tell it's a girl?!"

"That's because were not as clueless as you are with women." Her husband sighed.

"Really? You went there?" He asked in a defeated tone.

"Yup." She replied with a smug grin. "Now, how about you start explaining."

**\5 Minutes Later...\**

"Really? You expect me to believe that our boy, the one who's been as dense as stone since birth, was sobbing like a baby?" The mother asked in tone that was almost insulting.

"Who's Expecting?" He replied with the same smug look as his wife. He finished wrapping the last of the bandages. "It'll take him a while to come back with the plant. That's when you'll see."

**\Just Outside****Nacrene City...\**

(Fasterfasterfasterfaster!) His mind was practically screaming. His eyes were now orange. His entire body was completely working overtime. He had left the house just two minutes ago and was almost at the city. He was going so fast, he didn't notice someone was calling out to him for at least a minute

"Hey! I said slow down!" He turned around to see who was calling out for him. It was a teen at least two feet taller than him with a red shirt and green camo shorts. By the looks of him, he was at least 16.

"I'm kinda in a hurry. What is it?"

"You haven't seen a weird looking riolu around the forest, have you?" Something about this trainer felt off.

"No, why? Are you her trainer?" The teen was now grinning ear to ear. He never said what gender she was."

"You could say that..." It was obvious now that the teen was lying. He started walking closer to the boy, pulling a pokeball out from behind him.

"Now how about you tell me where you saw her? Ya dig?" Every step forward was another step back for the boy. Behind him was the gate to town.

"Wait a minute... I bet you're the one who did that to her!" His eyes turned murky red again. His fists clenched to the point where his nails drew blood.

"So what if I am, kid?" He shoved the boy to the pavement. "What are you gonna—"

In an instant, the boy already had a hand wrapped around his throat. The boy was holding him inches above the ground. A few people in the town were staring with astonishment at the spectacle. A mere twelve year old was holding a teenager by the neck just inches from the ground. He now had a look of fear.

"YOU'LL PAY..." His once weak voice, was now raspy and slightly deeper. The pokeball left trainer's hand. He was staring into the boys eyes.

"I'm sorry...p-please, I won't go anywhere near her again." His eyes were losing that menacing murky red glow, but he wasn't too sure he was telling the truth.

"PROMISE ME...PROMISE ME NOW!" He growled. Not letting him look away from his eyes, he slammed him into a tree.

"A-ack...Please..." The trainer was honestly begging. Just as he was crying, the boy released his grip.

"GO, NOW!" He growled for the last time. The trainer dropped to the floor and slipped trying to pick up his pokeball, then darted back into the forest. The boy looked around coming to his senses. There was a large crowd of people had gathered around him in just a short amount of time. They were all staring at him. His eyes flashed pale yellow. A sense of fear came over him.

"I-I'm just here to buy something important..." He said quietly. "Its my friend, she's really hurt bad." The crowd slowly parted, but they continued to stare. He could only imagine what these people might be thinking. As he made it into the pokemart, he couldn't help but notice that the clerk was staring at him, too.

"U-Uh... I'm looking for a reviv—!

"Here just take it." Soon enough a bag was thrown with at least three revival herbs.

"U-um thank you... I'm really sorry..." with that he put the money he brought to the floor and darted off once again.

(Are they scared, mad?) He thought for a second they were gonna start throwing rocks. He passed through crowd after crowd before he finally made it out of town.

**\Back At The House: 2 Minutes Later…\**

"Dad, I'm—" He was cut off when he saw his mother on the couch waiting for him. His eyes turned turquoise. It was safe to assume he was in trouble.

"Aaaaaawwww, my baby's finally showing his colors!" She instantly ran up and smothered him in a hug. His face was blushing as he was struggled to get out of his mother's death grip.

"M-mom please..." His eyes went from turquoise to a dark pink. She put him back down.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so happy for you." Her son seemed serious.

"Did you get to see her?" His eyes flashed turned turquoise again "Is she ok?" His mother's eyes were twitching with joy again.

"Oh, she's all patched up now. see for yourself." She said with a reassuring tone. With that, he went upstairs with the bag in hand.

^_^ (I thought Michael was just joking about him showing his colors.)

Author's Notes: I'll be reuploading the next chapter next Friday. Right now, I'm working on a side project. ;) Don't forget to read Boundless Love: The Tale Of Athena by ghostlyTrickster.


	2. Chapter 1: Father's Thoughts

**Author's Notes: Hey guys, Manuel here. Sorry I'm a week or two late in reuploading. I didn't have a laptop that work with uploading to the site. Remember, most of the stuff I write are from my dreams. Delta Evolution was a concept from ghostlyTrickster and I fell asleep reading his story. With his permission, I was allowed to use this concept. ****It is not cool to steal material from others.**

**Re Chapter 1: Father's thoughts**

**\Upstairs...\**

The boy ran through the hallway with the bag in hand until he arrived at the guest room. Just outside the room was his father, leaning against the side of the door. He had a look of surprise.

"You're back?" He glanced at his watch. Surely it hasn't been twenty minutes. He left at 12:40 and the watch read 12:47.

"It's only been seven minutes..."

"W-Well, I would've been her sooner if—" He was just about to make an excuse when he was interrupted. His father walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

"You're early..."

"W-what?"

"You covered a two mile long jog there and back...in less than twenty minutes..." He answered as blunt as possible.

"...How?" His father asked.

"I-I don't know..." His eyes turned a dark green as glanced at the floor. He suddenly felt self-conscious.

"We should have you take up track..." The boy's eyes returned to their turquoise color, remembering why he even did all this.

"Um... can I see her?"

"Huh, oh yeah. It's still res—"

"..." His eyes flashed dark red again. Calling her an "it" was enough to set him off.

"I mean SHE! She's just resting." His son's eyes returned to normal again. He went in, leaving his father to his thoughts.

(How did even get like this...?) The parent headed downstairs. (Even she has to see this isn't right...) He found his wife laying on the couch, still rubbing her weary eyes.

"Um...Lexy, I think we need to talk..."

"About what, Dear?" She sat up curiously.

"It's our son, It's not normal for him to—"

"I know, isn't this great, Michael? Our baby boy is full of so much emotion!" ^_^ She squealed with glee. The father let out a sigh.

"No, that's just it. I think his emotions might be...well, unstable!"

"What do you mean?"

"He ran a two mile jog, in only seven minutes. He'd had to been running like it were life or death!"

"So we put him in track?" Lexy guessed.

"And if I so much as call that pokemon an "it," his eyes glow red like if he's gonna wreck the place!"

"Maybe because it's a girl?"

"I'm just not sure..." He lowered his head and thought back to when he first saw those irises change color. Words couldn't even describe the expression on his son's face. "His eyes are what worry me the most..."

"Michael... This is the first time in forever our son has ever shown any sort of feeling to us... For now, couldn't we just enjoy the fact that our child isn't as dull and grey as stone?" Michael sighed in defeat. He was too tired to think properly.

"You're probably right... Come on, let's go to bed; I'm beat..."

"But first, we should check on them. She should be awake by now." Lexy followed right behind her husband...

**\Meanwhile...\**

Back upstairs, it's been 2 minutes since the boy just finished force feeding the riolu one of the herbs. He was now waiting patiently on a chair beside her. He couldn't help but stare at the injured pokemon.

The riolu had a scruffy bit of hair over her face. Her arms and legs had cuts and bruises, but the boy saw past it. Her fur looked shorter than the others of her kind, and she is almost the same height as the boy. She had actual fingers but they were stubby. And her legs were longer, more feminine like instead of animal like. Even with her injuries, she was still beautiful.

(She looks... I mean, how... What is this feeling...) The boy thought to himself, as his chest suddenly felt even tighter. His eyes turned pink. A single groan brought him back to reality.

_"Uu, lu lu lu lu lu...?"_ _[Ew, what the heck is that taste...?]_

"You're awake!" His eyes turned deep blue. He felt a weight suddenly leave him.

_"Lu, lu lu—" [What, where am—]_ She immediately sat up at the worst timing, as her lips slammed into his. As he pulled back, both their eyes flashed dark pink, though neither of them seemed to notice.

"S-Sorry, that was—" There was a loud smack. He was on the floor in a mere instant. Her eyes quickly turned a murky red. Again, he failed to notice. Red was the normal color for a riolu.

"Ow! I said I was sorry!"

"I leave the room for a few minutes, and this happens!" Michael spoke up. He and Lexy were right by the door in astonishment. Their son kissing a pokemon? The boy's eyes became an even darker shade of pink.

"Dad, I swear, we were just—"

"Whoa, cool it, lover boy!" ^_^ His mother jokingly chimed in. She didn't really seem to mind at all about what happened. She was always like this though; she was the happy, lovable woman who never had a problem unless her boy was in some trouble. Her husband, on the other hand, had always been the serious, intellectual type. How these two came to be a couple, the world will never know.

"How can you even think this is funny?! He's only twelve!" Michael shouted in confusion. He thought he'd still be too young for this sort of thing. Not to mention pokemon/human relations were kinda illegal in this region.

"D-oh, don't be such a sour puss!" She elbows her husband in the chest and makes a pouty face.

"Me, what about you?! You plan on letting this happen?!"

"We live on a mountain top at the edge of the forest. Who's gonna see us?" The rest of the argument just became impossible to understand as they kept talking over each other.

_"Will someone PLEASE tell me what's going on?!" _The riolu yelled getting the room silent. The boy was actually surprised. It sounded like she actually spoke real words. The pokemon sighed in frustration.

_"What am I even doing here?"_ She questioned again. This time the boy was sure of it. He scooted closer and grabbed her by the shoulder, gaining her attention.

"Say something again..." The boy demanded. His parents just looked at each other then back to their son.

"Did you hit your he—" Only this time, she spoke directly to the boy.

"Sh!"

_"Why bother? You humans can't even understand what I'm saying."_ She turned her back on the family. The boy glanced back to his parents, expecting some kind of explanation. They only responded with the same puzzled look. His eyes were now turquoise.

"Don't tell me neither of you heard that!" He pointed in emphasis. His father was the first to ask.

"Heard what?" The boy's eyes turn dark green.

"Dad, she's speaking plain English!" It didn't take long for Lexy to grow concerned. She held up her hand in front of the boy.

"Sweetie, how many fingers am I holding up?" The boy backed away from his parents. He suddenly felt the same as back in the town.

"You two think I'm crazy, don't you...?"

_"Are you?" _The riolu began to question as well. She was just as unsure as both parents.

"Of course I'm not!"

_"You do understand me..._ _Then tell me where I am!"_

"Hun, you didn't answer me. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Not now! Five!"

"Michael, he's answering to her. Do something."

"She did hit you pretty hard, huh? I'll go get the first-aid kit again..."

"Dad, no! I'm fine!" He was already out the door.

_"How is this even possible?"_

"You might have a bump on your head."

"Figure it out yourself, damn it!" Lexy was offended by this.

"Not you, her!" He pointed to the riolu. Everyone was starting to overwhelm him with questions and responses. Michael returned with some bandages, alcohol, and some other stuff.

"Alright, hold still..." He sat next to his son and poured some alcohol over a cotton ball. The boy grabbed his father's wrist in defiance.

"I said I'm fine!"

While both parents were busy restraining their kid for a pointless check-up, the riolu decided to take the boys advice. Her eyes were purple as she tried to recall everything. _"Let's see... I was running from a group of trainers when one of them found me. I remember escaping, but not without fainting... Then I met you and—"_ It suddenly dawned on the pokemon. Her face became red and her eyes pink.

"ENOUGH!" The boy shouted red eyes. He was on his stomach while both parents searched around the back of his head. Seeing as there was nothing, they let him up.

_"The kiss!" _The young pokemon answered loud enough to steal the attention away from him. The boy's face was red just thinking about that moment again. _"When you kissed me, it must've_—_"_

"Whoa-hold on, I kissed YOU?!" His eyes were now a darker shade.

_"Well, YOU WERE the one who did it, and YOU WERE the one who was trying to apologize."_ As she shifted the blame, her eyes became the same shade. Finally, the boy noticed.

"That was only because—Hey, hold on are your eyes pink?"

_"Yeah, so? Yours did, too!"_ She answered. The two of them were acting no different from children.

"No way! You're lying!"

_"Don't believe me? Then see for yourself!" _His eyes flashed a dark green in disbelief, as he moved his parents aside to used the bathroom mirror across the hall. As if he couldn't be more surprised. His once dull, grey eyes were now a dark green.

"Why didn't you tell me my eyes..." He grew silent when he realized something important.

(Oh my god, half the entire town saw me like this...) The boy watched as his eyes became bright yellow from fear.

"DaaAAAD!" Both parents came running along with the riolu.

"Why are you scream—"

"Because you never fucking told me about my eyes!" His eyes became murky red, as he shot his father the ultimate death glare. His voice was as raspy as before.

"Was it really that bad?"

"Half the town... At least half of the entire, fucking town saw me like this!" His son spoke through his teeth. "First I understand pokemon, and now I find out I'm as colorful as a fucking rainbow! WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?!" A yawn snapped him from his episode.

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we _do_ have a blood soaked bed and a pokemon in need of a place to stay."

"Oh yeah. Well can't she just stay on the couch?" His father insisted.

_"Oh, don't worry about me. I should get going now."_ The riolu said waving her arms, but just as she thought, the two grown ups didn't understand her.

"What if that trainer comes back?" The boy glanced back into the mirror again, watching his irises become turquoise. "Can you honestly fight him like this?"

(I don't want to see that happen again...) Was what he was really thinking. Just remembering how he found that pokemon was enough to form tears.

"He's right, Dear." ^_^ Lexy said to the riolu with gentle push, almost as if guessing their little conversation. She had a trusting voice and a warm smile. "It might be a good idea to rest until your strength is back. You won't be in any trouble with us around." Something still bothered the pokemon.

_"Wait, I never said what gender the trainer was."_

"Yeah, 'bout that. Let's just say he won't be bothering you for a while." The boy groaned.

_"You mean you beat him up?"_ She looked surprised.

"No, but thanks to Captain Stupid here, I may have completely traumatized him." The three were talking over each other while Michael was still trying to comprehend the whole situation.

(What's wrong with his eyes? Hers are exactly the same, too...)

(Why does he understand her?)

(What the hell did he do to that's got him so worked up?)

(And why is my wife STILL acting like this is okay?!)

"Will everyone shut up for ONE SECOND!" He got the room quiet again. Long enough to concentrate.

"..."

"Lexy, take care of the sheets, please?" He pointed towards the guest room.

"On it!"

"And you two—bed! It's too late for this drama." He pointed towards the boy's room.

"Dad, you can't be serious!" His eyes turned dark pink.

"Well Casanova, if you two can share a kiss, then I don't see why you can't share a bed."

"Will you just-I mean..." The boy's face became red. Watching his son become so flustered was actually quite amusing to him. "Agh, fine!"

"Come on, let's just go..." He pulled the pokemon along in defeat. The two moved further down the hall. The boy's face was still red. He was thinking back to that moment. It was just an accident, but that was also his first kiss. That feeling in his chest returned. (Asshole... He's making me feel weird again...)

They arrived at his room. To the left was a bed against a window. One more than large enough to fit the two. To the right was a closet, another door to a bathroom, and an empty dresser meant for toys. Though since he's been emotionless almost all his life, he didn't really have that many.

"So, which side do you want?" The boy asked, covering his face to hide his embarrassment.

_"W-what, I-I don't... "_ She asked with a nervous expression. She was actually playing dumb. But the boy just thought she didn't know what a bed was. He sighed.

"See that thing?" He pointed to the bed. "You sleep in it; it's softer and warmer than anything you'd find in the wild. We'll sleep back-to-back, so just pick a side."

_"Oh, well... I guess I'll take the right side."_

"Alright, then the left side will be mine."

_"Wait!"_ The riolu tugged at his shirt.

"Yeah?"

_"What's your name?"_

"Oh yeah. You can just call me Manuel."

_"We'll Manuel, I just wanted to say... Thank you..."_ Her eyes were dark pink. It wasn't easy to say those words to a human. Humans are the reason she was treated like such a rare object.

"Don't worry about it." The boy turned his back so that he was on his side. His eyes became turquoise. (I'm just glad you're ok...) With that, the lights went off and the room silent. He was left with a blanket, a pillow, and his own thoughts.

(A name...) His nails dug into the pillow and his chest was no longer tight, but heavy. Even though it was one bad thing after another the boy, his only concern was the pokemon sleeping on the other side of the bed.

(Does she even...have one...?) Tears fell once again and his eyelids became heavy. He turned to his back, finally picking a spot.

(Look at me... Crying over a pokemon...) With that final thought, he was asleep...

**\Later That Night...\**

It was at least 3:00 in the morning. The only sound was the cold wind. Everyone was asleep. All, except for the riolu. She was feeling cold and had trouble letting her guard down. She barely knew these people, yet they were so kind as to let her rest here.

_(It's so cold...)_ The young pokemon sat up and peeked out the window. The forest trees were being pushed by the strong wind. It was even worse outside. She took a glance at how Manuel was sleeping. He was on his back now, sound asleep.

_(How can he sleep like this, is there some kind of trick?) _She leans in closer to him to see just exactly what this so called "trick" was. But she couldn't find anything.

_(Hm, maybe I can try reading his aura...)_ She puts her hand in his, but notices something. His entire hand was radiating with heat.

_(He's warm... Maybe I—)_ Her thoughts were immediately interrupted, by someone else.

(It's a girl...)

(Will he quit calling her an "it"...)

(I'm gonna kill the bastard that did this to her...)

(She looks... I mean how... Why does my chest feel all weird...)

(I don't want to see that happen again...))

(Asshole he's making me feel weird...)

(A name...)

(Does she even...have one...?)

(Look at me... Crying over a pokemon...)

All these thoughts and more were filling her mind at once with a single voice—Manuel's voice. Her eyelids became heavy, and her entire body was going limp. These overwhelming thoughts were all about her. But why? She had go further.

_(Not yet... I wanna know more..!)_She was soon met with a bright light, when it settled, she was in front of the house. Both parents were there, just a few steps behind their son. They were resting their heads on one another with an encouraging smile. Manuel was trying to say something, but was having trouble finding the right words.

"Wait! I mean... You don't have to go away..." The boys eyes flashed dark green. He seemed unsure about whether this was good idea or not.

"You can come with me..." He then pulls out a black pokeball with gold stripes from out behind him. Her eyes widened with fear and flashed a bright yellow at what she saw; a device meant for capturing pokemon.

"I promise you won't have to go back in it, it'll only be for a second. With one press, others won't be able to catch you. And with another, you'll be a free pokemon." She wanted to answer him, but no words escaped her mouth. Her time was up, as everything flashed white once again, she was feeling the same effects from before; Her eyelids were now shut, she couldn't move. She fainted into his arms with her head resting in his chest, feeling even colder than before.

**\The Next Day…\**

Light seeped through the shutters of Manuel's room. As he began to stir, he couldn't help but smile. He felt completely refreshed. His eyes were grey from being asleep, but slowly turned a bright, cheerful red. He was just about to get up when he realized something, or rather someone, was on him.

(Why can't I—)

_"...Too fast...It's all too fast..."_ She was shaking in her sleep and breaking out in a cold sweat.

(Well that answers things...) He thought to himself.

(She's having a nightmare...) His eyes became turquoise as the arm she slept on was now wrapped around her.

(You'll always be safe here...) He thought to himself as he petted the back of her head. She stopped shaking and calmed down, as warmth now radiated throughout her body. A new feeling came over him as his eyes went pink. His heart seemed beat slower and louder than usual. But this feeling was short lived when he heard giggling.

"Honey, get the camera..." ^_^

*_* (I forgot to lock the door...) His mother decided to eavesdrop on the two, once again ruining their moment.

"Um-well-I-uh—" His eyes turned a dark pink as he was stuttering at every word out of pure embarrassment.

"Oh, save it. You're like an open book." Footsteps echoed through the hall, followed by a tired yawn.

"What did you want this for—God damn it, boy! How are you even doing this?!" He fumbled with the camera, setting it off in the process. He honestly couldn't believe this, It's only been a night and he has her wrapped around his arms.

"Get the heck out of here, you two!" He threw a pillow at his parents with a crack in his voice. Lexy left with a satisfied smile. Michael noticed the pokemon stir a little and left the two young ones. Both parents made their way to the kitchen, carrying out a new conversation.

"They seem to be getting along well." ^_^

"Yeah, seems like it." "We have a problem though, she's still wild; that means anyone can take her away if they wanted to."

"You're right, he'd probably feel depressed..."

"She's gonna need a name to." "If you're planning on let this go on—"

"Wait, hold on. Does this mean you're actually ok with this now?" She asked with a smug grin. Michael conceided defeat to his wife. He let out a sigh.

"Yesterday was the first day our son showed any emotion. I think it's clear she had something to do with this."

"That doesn't answer my question." ^_^ Lexy was honestly milking it now. She just wanted to wound his male pride.

"Yes, are you happy now?"

"Yup!" ^_^

"I'll take care of romeo over there, see what you could do with little Juliet. We'll get started after breakfast, sound good."

"It's a Deal!" ^_^

**\Back Upstairs...\**

Things were getting interesting again, as Manuel was about to get caught holding the young pokemon in her sleep. She turned over to her side, her eyes parting just enough to peak.

_"I don't feel cold anymore..."_ She was finally starting to come around. And to make matters worse, she was so close to his face. The embarrassment could be seen plain as day.

"You were having a nightmare..." He said in a calm soothing tone. "Are you going to be all—" There was another loud smack. For the second time, she slapped him. Her eyes were now flashing a multitude of colors; it started bright yellow, then turned dark green, and finally pink.

"Ow! I was only trying to help!" That sentence hit her hard. She suddenly started crying. She remembered what happened in the vision. This was all confusing to the boy. First of all, he's totally clueless when it comes to any emotion. Second, why does she always have to slap him?

(That feeling...It's back… It's making me feel...bad...) It felt like something painful was growing inside him. It was worse than the slap. His eyes turned turquoise. And now, she was trying to say something between her sobs.

_"Why...? I need to know why you went through all that trouble of helping me!"_

_"I mean, first you scared away that trainer, you treated my wounds, and then you let me spend the night in your own bed, and then you act like this? I just don't understand..."_

"Why? I don't know to be honest...I don't understand either." He said with a calm, nurturing voice. He wrapped his arms around her again, uncertain if this was gonna earn him another slap. Her short fur felt soft and smooth to the touch. His eyes were now becoming a dark green, and his face was blushing.

"But what I do know is I would go through all that trouble again if it meant helping you."

He slowly tilted her head back up, both children's eyes were now on each other and slowly becoming pink. He began to stroke her scruffy hair out of her face, telling her everything was going to be alright. Their lips were now inches away from each other. The boy was now acting on pure instinct as he placed his lips against hers. Her lips felt warm and inviting; it was like all her troubles had faded away, as she melted into the kiss. This feeling made

"Oh, come on! Again?!" The father shouted. Both parents had walked in to see why they hadn't come down for breakfast. The boy instantly pulled back snapping her out of her blissful trance. His mother couldn't contain herself, either.

"My little baby is growing up so fast!"

"God damn it, woman. Can you ever be serious around this child, he's only twelve!" He was literally on the verge of tears himself, but was too prideful to let them leave his own eyes.

"Alright, break it up, you two." She teased. Michael only sighed. A sure sign it was going to be a long day.

"Looks like this can't wait. Manuel, you're coming with me." He then points to the riolu.

"And Lexy, give her a shower." She grinned at the fun she was gonna have. It was going to be like hazing the new girl in high school.

"All right, come along, cutie!" She grabs her by the hand and leads her to his bathroom.

"Get dressed. We're going somewhere."

Um, where we going?"

"It's a surprise... Somewhere special…"

**Author's Notes: Hey guys,cant wait to see what you think. I really tried to add that bittersweet feel with even more drama and curiosity. More coming this way! Also, these some of those colors in case you need better understanding. Oh and the parent names aren't real; they just needed names and I wasn't stupid enough to give away too much personal info about my family. **

**Grey: Nothing, emotionally cut off, been asleep and are just waking up**

**Bright Red: Happy, joyful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, not confident, scared of rejection, doubt**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant**

**Purple: Total awareness, heavy thought, confused**


	3. Chapter 2: Her Name

**Author's notes: Hey guys, Thanks for your support. Remember every review counts, as it tells me if I'm doing a good job. **

**Re Chapter 2: Her Name**

**\Pinwheel Forest...\**

It was an hour away from noon. There was a road leading to Castelia City, and beyond that, a river where Manuel and his father have been traveling along for about fifteen minutes now. He grew impatient with each passing minute. The only thing to keep his mind occupied was the sound of running water. His eyes were dark pink.

"How much longer until we're there?"

"Just a little longer. It's up ahead."

"So what is this place anyway?"

"It's a special place I used."

"Used for what?"

"Advice."

"You're taking me to this "special place," for advice?"

"Well, when you put it that way, it sounds stupid." Manuel left it a that. It was obvious that was all the answers he would get from his father. Instead, he thought back to the incident earlier that morning. When he first woke up, the young riolu was asleep in his arm. Not to mention he kissed her for real this time.

(I just felt I needed to...) He took a quick look to see what his father was doing. He only stared into the flowing stream as he walked ahead. Though Lexy didn't seem to care when they walked in, Michael freaked out. (Is that why I'm out here?) His eyes became yellow as he stared at the ground. He started to lag behind. It didn't take long for Michael to notice. The father sighed.

"You do realize you're not in any trouble, right?"

"...I'm not?"

"I already told you, this place is only to help you think." As they grew closer, Michael heard what he was looking for. It sounded like falling rapids. "Come on, we're here." The two started picking up the pace until they finally arrived at large pond. In the center was a small, flat stone. Behind that was a waterfall. Manuel backed away when he saw how deep the water was.

"Um, you know I can't swim, r-right?" Manuel asked with his still yellow eyes.

"Oh, don't worry," The father assured sarcastically. He picked his son up with ease. "You just need the-rrright incentive!" He shouted as he threw his son towards the center.

"ASSHOOOLE!" Manuel shouted to his father in mid-air, his eyes were now a dark murky red. He was full of anger until he noticed he was gonna fall head-first in the water.

(Hm, maybe I should've aimed higher... Oh well, if I'm right about this... Well, let's just hope I'm right...) Michael thought to himself. The real reason he brought his son here was to test something.

(ShitshitshitSHIT!) He thought to himself as he closed his eyes, bracing himself for impact. A moment later, he opened them again to reveal they were now orange. As if his body had a mind of its own, he flipped himself upright and just landed, teetering on the edge of the stone.

"What...?" He looked to his father for an explanation.

(So his eyes do mean something...) For sure, Michael thought he was gonna have to fish him out.

"Alright, I've got some errands to run! I'll meet you back at the house!" He shouted to his boy.

"WHAT?!" His eyes were now a dark murky red.

"YOU NEVER TAUGHT ME HOW TO SWIM!"

"Remember, this is a place for advice! You'll eventually find the answer, just give it some thought!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"Yeah! I love ya, too!" Michael waved with his back turned. He then pulled out a pokeball.

"Alright Charizard, come on out!" He shouted as a red flash of light appeared. With that an orange dragon came out. Its wings were short and stubby, and its body stood tall with two small antennas on it's forehead. This was obviously no charizard.

"Dragonite?! Aw man, don't tell me Lexy replaced Charizard with this sorry excuse of a dragon!"

_"Dra-Dragon dragonite dragonite dragonite dragonite, dragonite dragonite dragonite!"_ _[Well excuse me for not burning half of the forest!]_

(Wait, that thing's a dragon...?) *_* Manuel's eyes flashed purple in remembrance.

_"Drago, dragonite dragonite, drago drago!" [Shit, its that kid again! NOO!]_ As soon as Michael was on, the dragon started panicking. It flew off in fear of just one child.

(I always thought it was a hungry hungry hippo...) As he drifted off into a flashback, both Michael and Dragonite were already gone.

**\7 Years Ago...\**

"Alright Milton Bradley, let's see just how many balls fit in here, shall we?" A dense headed boy asked with a monotone voice.

_"DRAGONITE!" [GGGGGAAAAAHHHHHHHH!] _A shriek that once echoed throughout the forest, now resounded in within his own head.

**\Back To Your Story...\**

(I never did get to finish that game...)

"So how am I going to get off this rock?" The boy asked himself as he stared into the water, blissfully unaware of the fact he was being watched. His eyes flashed purple again as he went into deep thought...

**\Back At Home…\**

Back with the ladies, things were just as problematic. Lexy and the riolu were still in the bathroom.

"Okay, lets run by this one more time. The left one is for hot water, the right one is for cold, okay?"

_"Yeah, yeah."_

"And what do you use to clean yourself?" The riolu pointed over to the shampoo. "Good. Now there's towels on the counter to dry yourself.

_"Okay, I get it!" _She gestured her to shoo.

"I'll be back in five minutes. Have fun~!" She spoke in a rather creepy tone before closing the shower curtain. The pokemon heard the door click shut.

(This is going to be hilarious!) ^_^ She thought to herself on the other side of the door. She knew just how this was going to turn out. She pressed her ear against the door and awaited the inevitable.

_(Left is hot...) _She thought to herself as she turns the knob halfway with both hands. Scalding hot water splashed down.

_"TOO HOT, TOO HOT!"_ She turned the knob back down. This time, she used the other one.

_"COLD!"_ She cried out after shutting it back down.

"Pfft-hahahahahahaha!" The mother came through laughing hysterically.

"Having fun in here?"

_"What the hell?!"_ Her eyes flashed murky red.

"Oh, I couldn't help it." She sighed when her laughter ended. "Now what you're gonna want is to turn both knobs. And one more thing, you—"

_"Just get out!"_ She rushed to the door and slammed it. The mother just thought the young pokemon was embarrassed.

"Why are you so uncomfortable about this? You've been naked since you've got here." She waited by the door.

_(What is with that woman?)_ She goes back to turn both knobs and jumps back so the water doesn't hit her. She sticks one of her stubby paws into the water to see if it's safe. She didn't trust her one bit now. The water was fairly warm.

_(Alright, I guess she wasn't lying...)_ She thinks as she picks up the bottle of shampoo. She started with her hair and made her way down.

_(How does he even...) _Her eyes went bright yellow. She remembered entering his dream. It was only in his dream, but it could still happen.

_(What am I gonna do...?) _The thought of her being forced to battle for entertainment was enough to terrify her.

_(I should run...) _Her entire mind was warped from all this. She only knew that humans forced other pokemon to compete against one another. But Manuel wasn't like that. Her fears were interrupted with another thought. How it felt to be kissed. How he brushed her hair from her face and brought their lips together. Even his words were genuine.

_(But I... I mean he...) _The pokemon didn't know what to think of it. She also remembered getting caught by his parents.

_(I still can't believe he did that in front of them...)_ She was blushing intensely, and her eyes were now dark pink. She rinsed all the shampoo away.

_(I just need some time to think. That's all...)_ A few seconds later, her eyes started to sting.

_"BURNING!" _She tried to turn around, but slipped. She dragged the shower curtain down with her.

"Hahahahaha...!" Lexy broke into laughter once again. "Just rinse it off, Hun! Don't let it get in your eyes!"

_"WHY WOULD ANYONE USE THIS?!"_

**\The Waterfall…\**

The boy had been sitting on the same stone for almost an hour now. The sound of the waterfall crashing down resonated throughout the area. Something about that noise helped him think. He stared into his reflection and tried to recall anything he could about swimming.

(Think, Manuel, think. Who was the last person you saw swim?) Suddenly a fog rolled in. The sound of the falls grew silent.

(What the hell...?) He quickly stood up. This fog wasn't natural. Something had to have made this. As he looked around, a voice echoed.

_"What brings you here by yourself, Child?"_ It was a voice of a calm, wise man.

"Where are you?! Show yourself!" The boy stood up ready for a fight. He wasn't by any means strong, but given his situation, he had to be ready.

_"Are sure you do not wish to tell me?"_ Manuel was looking left and right, scanning the area for the voice, but to no avail. The fog became to thick to see outside the pond.

"I said show yourself!" His eyes now flashed dark red.

_"Very well. Look behind you, Child."_ The boy looks back at the waterfall only to see his reflection missing. He could feel this unnatural presence behind him.

"STOP TOYING WITH—" He turned around ready to yell again when he was face to face with a yellow figure. He held a spoon in each of his hands and had long whiskers. "...me?"

_"Greetings, Child."_ He said in the same calm tone. From the looks of him, it was an alakazam. The boy went from ready to fight, to confused in seconds, as his eyes turned purple. This thing wasn't as intimidating up close.

"What do you want with me?"

_"I should be asking you the same question. You come to my home, uninvited, and expect a conflict?"_ The pokemon asked.

(Home...?) The boy took a second look around. He didn't think someone lived in such an empty place.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know anyone lived here..." His eyes turned turquoise as he apologized.

_"It is quite alright, Child." _He assured. _"But what brings you to this place?"_

"Oh-um, my dad threw me out onto this rock to learn something."

_"Your father...?"_ He took a moment's glance at the boy and felt an odd sense of nostalgia. _"Ah... I see now... But why are you so angry?"_

"I'm not sure..." Manuel answered honestly.

_"But how can that be? Surely, you must have had a reason..."_

"I said I don't know, okay?!" He answered back with an irritated tone, as his eyes turned red again. He took another moment to breath. His eyes shifted to a dark green.

"I just can't control myself, that's all..."

_"May I try something?"_ He asked curiously.

"Um, okay." The pokemon picks his hand and places a spoon in it.

_"See this spoon? I want you to try bending it without using your hands."_

"And just how in the hell am I supposed to do that?" The boy asked in a way as if such a thing were even possible.

_"Just picture it happening."_ Was the only answer he gave back. Manuel closed his eyes to concentrate, and when he opened them, they were glowing purple. The spoon started floating from his hand. It started to spin in all directions until it aimed towards the pokemon's head, then moved as if it were a bullet. In an instant, the pokemon caught the spoon.

_"I see... So you're just like Michael when he was your age..."_

"How do you know my dad?" His eyes flashed red again.

_"Calm yourself."_ The pokemon gestured with an open hand facing him. _"I have given your father many pieces of wisdom over the years." _This got him to lower his guard.

_"And if Michael sent you here, then it would appear that you need my help."_

_"Well it's obvious you're a psychic. Can't you just read my mind or something?"_ He was getting tired of playing twenty questions. He just wanted off this rock.

_"I tend to respect one's privacy."_

"Then I guess you have my permission!"

_"Very well..."_ He slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was deep inside his head watching his memories, he went only as far as two days.

...

"Well?"

...

"Hey! Still with me?" He waved his hands over his face trying to snap him out of his trance. The pokemon opens his eyes to answer the boy.

_"...You are indeed strange for a child..."_

"Yeah. No kidding."

_"Listen well, Child. These strange feelings as you call them_—what makes you cry or bothers you—these are your true emotions._"_

"Well that explains some stuff..."

_"And as for your current problem,"_ The pokemon gestured to the boy's left. _"your little friend will be here shortly."_

"Wait, aren't you going to tell me the rest?" The boy had the pokemon by his wrist.

_"In time, Child."_ He assured. _"This isn't something that concerns you just yet."_

"I-I understand..." The boy's eyes were dark green in disappointment. A flash of blinding light appeared. As it soon settled, everything was dark and blurry. A sense of numbness came over him.

_"...Manuel?"_ A familiar voice called to him with concern. It sounded feminine.

_"Manuel!" _It called again with a more authoritative voice.

(Who is that?) He suddenly felt himself tip back, splashing into the water.

(Am I drowning?) His vision slowly started to return. Everything was blue, but he still couldn't move. There was another splash. Something carried him from beneath and threw him on his back.

_"Manuel, get up!"_ The voice ordered. But he couldn't respond, he was too disoriented to even tell who the voice was. He only saw a blue figure.

(I'm trying...!)

_"Manuel, get up! ...Please...!"_ She tried shaking him. The voice sounds ready to cry. Things were starting to come into focus just I little.

_"I said get up!"_ There was another loud smack followed by a sharp pain.

"Agh! That is seriously starting to hurt!" He sat up immediately rubbing his cheek. His vision finally returned, along with his voice. Holding him by the shirt, was the riolu.

"Why do you have to hit so hard?!" He complained with turquoise colored eyes.

_"Don't do that me, you idiot...!"_ She mumbled under her breath. It was hard to tell whether it was tears or water in those eyes of hers. He was at a complete loss for words. She slapped him for being a vegetable and now she's crying?

"What...?"

_"Do I have to spell it out for you...?"_ She lowered her head onto his chest and sobbed. _"You. Had. Me. Scared..."_

(So this is my fault...) His eyes flashed turquoise. He tried to come up with the best excuse he could.

"I...I must've fell asleep." ***Okay, so maybe not the best excuse...***

_"In the water? Are you really that stupid?!"_ She muffled back, his arms wrapped around her once again.

"Yeah... Sorry..." Inside Manuel's chest, that same heavy feeling came back. His heart was sinking. He had to get this feeling to go away. He didn't like to see her like this. He picks her head up again, this time knowing what to do to cheer her up. His eyes turned pink as his lips met hers. Her eyes widened in surprise, but slowly she started to return the kiss and her eyes became the same. She felt like everything in the world didn't matter, as long as he was there with her. When she finally stopped crying, he pulled away. He had a smile on his face.

"That's better." He joked. "Now how's about I give you a name?"

_"A name?"_ She asked confused. _"What's wrong with just calling me Riolu?"_

"Well, it's like if you were to call me Human." That answer earned a laugh from her.

_"You're probably right..."_ Her eyes were now an intense shade of red. And her blush started to calm down. She was feeling a lot better now.

(Her eyes...) He told himself as he brushed her hair out of her face again. It was cute, but he'd rather see both of those jewels.

"How about...Scarlet?"

_"I love it!"_ She shouted cheerfully, pulling him in for another hug.

(Scarlet... It's a perfect name...) He thought to himself, but then Manuel remembered they were both soaking wet.

"Um, Scarlet? What happened exactly?"

_"I came here to meditate."_ She said pointing to the rock. _"But when I did, you were already here." _He glanced up for a moment. The sky was a brilliant hue of orange.

(So I was asleep for that long...then, it really was just a dream...) The sun was still out, but not for much longer.

"Come on. If we don't head back now, I'm going to be in trouble." He stood up and offered his hand, to which she accepted.

"So how was it with my mom?" He was already walking down the river ready to make small talk when he realized Scarlet wasn't following. Her eyes were yellow now.

"You're not coming?"

_"I can't go that way. Trainers might see me..." _He only smiled at this.

"If you walk beside me, it won't be a problem." He gestured for her to follow. That smile returned to her face and so did that beautiful shade of red.

_"Your mom is a jerk...!"_

**\15 Minutes Later...\**

Stars were scattered across the sky. Manuel and Scarlet were traveling on the main path of pinwheel forest for a while now. The two would occasionally pick up stares from others passing through, but neither of them noticed. They were too busy talking amongst themselves.

"You know, talking to pokemon might not be so bad."

_"Really?"_

"Yeah. I mean people will occasionally think I've lost it, others might call and have me brought to a mental hospital, and then there's the commonly unused psychic joke. What's not to love?" He answered sarcastically. That was when the conversation took a more serious turn.

"You said all this happened because of a kiss..." He spoke softer as a small group of trainers passed right by. "But how does that actually work?" She moved in even closer to answer. Her face was red as she recalled the incident.

_"It's because..."_ She took a look at his eyes for moment. He had the same kind of eyes. _"Your aura is nothing like the others..."_

"Yeah?" She took another look at him; though this time, into his memories. She could see herself bandaged up, still lying in bed while Manuel watched her.

_"When you first saw me... You must've wanted to to have a deep understanding of me."_ Watching the whole incident replay in the back of his mind, made her blush even more. _"Not that many people have this kind of ability."_ Manuel was staring up ahead again. It was hard for Scarlet to put the proper answer into words. She watched as another trainer passed. They really were attracting a lot of attention.

_"They're still staring at us..."_ She whispered, clinging to his arm. Her eyes were now dark green.

"I don't see a problem with that."

_"How can you be so confident?"_

"Because I don't care what they think." She stopped him in his tracks.

_"But how could you not?!"_

"Because all I see is a child and his pokemon taking a stroll through the forest."

_"W-What?"_

_(His pokemon?)_

"Look around! No one's tried to catch you yet. They probably just think you're my pokemon." Saying this, made her eyes turn purple.

_"So?"_

"So, you're not allowed to catch other trainer's pokemon."

"_What is that, some kind of rule?_"

"Yeah, actually."

_(So they have rules on this sort of thing... How typical...) S_he thought to herself, her eyes turned a murky red. Manuel took notice.

"Hey, you alright?"

_"Let's just hurry up and get inside..."_

(She probably thinks I'm an ass now...) He thought to himself as his eyes flashed dark green. They were now coming up on their little home on the cliff side.

_"You don't need to beat yourself up, you know..."_

"What?"

_"I said you don't need to beat yourself up."_

(Is she reading my thoughts?)

_"Yeah, I can... Sorry..."_ Her eyes turned turquoise, as she stared down at the ground.

"No, it's okay. I just didn't know you could do that." When they made it home, they both stop at the door. He took another look around.

(I sense a disturbance in the force...)

_(Is someone watching us...?)_

"And just where exactly were you two?" His mother forcefully opened the door and gave her son a shameful glare. She was waiting for them the whole time.

"Mom, I—"

"Zip it! Bed, now!" Manuel sighed.

"Come on..." He led Scarlet by her hand again.

_"Wait, what? Again?!" _They arrived back at his room, laying in bed with the lights.

_"I thought Lexy cleaned the sheets?"_ She asked sitting down on his bed.

"Yeah. I just thought you would feel more comfortable...if you slept here...with me..." His eyes turned dark pink. He laid back on his side of the bed.

(I wouldn't mind waking up to you...) He thought to himself. Scarlet let out a tired yawn.

_"Now there's a thought..."_ She teased. Scarlet scooted closer to him, knowing he wouldn't mind. His eyes became a brighter shade of pink. She was still reading his thoughts.

_(Well, he is warm... A pokemon really could get used to this...) _Her eyes became the same color.

(I guess it's safe to say she doesn't mind...) He thought nervously. Manuel turned back to face her.

"Good night."

"Yeah. Good night..." He answered back before reaching for the lamp. His eyelids already felt heavy. Tonight, the two were going to sleep well...

**Hey guys, don't forget to check my twitter to find out if I'm almost done or not. And as usual, here are the different colors. I can already tell I'm getting back into the swing of things. My schedule might get a little hectic in a few weeks. Unlike school, college has you study for a class two hours per unit, or 2 hours for every 1 hour of class. I'm gonna be full time, so 12 units (Or 36 hours for you who can't count) I'm just getting the general stuff out of the way.**

**Grey: Nothing, emotionally cut off, about to collapse, just waking up**

**Bright Red: Happy, joyful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, not confident, scared of rejection, doubt**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant**

**Purple: Total awareness, heavy thought, confused**


	4. Chapter 2:5: Michael's Errands

**This is a relatively short chapter explaining what Michael was up to. You can skip, if you want. But stick around if you're curious.**

**Re Chapter 2.5: Michael's Errands**

**\Somewhere Above Skyarrow Bridge...\**

Michael was soaring through the sky. The wind around him blew fiercely. He was almost at Castelia City. As Dragonite was flying, Michael was pondering over something.

(New trainer clothes...) Coming up was a tall building. At the bottom was a pokemon center, and at the top was a landing pad for pokemon or helicopters.

"There it is, land over there!" He shouted over the wind as they approached. Dragonite did as commanded and flew towards the pad. Soon they were down.

"Thanks Dragonite, I'll be right back, just wait right there." He ordered as he petted his head. He then made his way to the elevator. Thirteen floors in total.

"Okay, if I remember right, it should be the sixth." He said to himself as he pushed the button. As he emerged from the short ride down, he was greeted by an employee.

"Hello sir, how may I be of service today?" He asked.

"Oh, uh, is this still the floor for trainer's clothing?"

"Why, yes it is. Is there a specific style your looking for?"

"Um, yeah. I'm just looking for teens fashion."

"Oh. Well in that case, try the wall to your left." He gestured.

"Thank you."

"Pleasure to be of service, sir." With that, the employee left to check how other shoppers were doing.

(How can those people be so cheerful?) He thought as he walked to the front wall. There was a large variety of clothes. He saw a black pair of pants with a red long sleeve shirt and matching hoodie.

(Those look good enough...) He thought as he picked them up and brought them to the counter.

"So how much is it?" He asked the cashier.

"Two thousand pokeyen." [2,000 PKY = $20.00]

"Excuse me?!" His eyes darted back to the wall. There was no discount sign or anything, but a set of clothes only costed less than [$50.00]. ***You know the store called VANS? Clothing stores are kinda like that.***

"This isn't the Kalos region, sir." The cashier joked. But Michael was staring at something. A pair of sneakers near the window. They were black with red laces.

"How much for those?" He asked.

"Oh, that? Those are on sale for two thousand."

"Well then, I'll take those, too." He said with a satisfied look on his face.

**\\\**

(That was surprisingly easy...) He thought to himself as he left elevator. The clothes he bought were all packed neatly in an old bag he had when he was still traveling.

"Alright Dragonite, next stop is Nuvema Town. There's someone there I need to see." He said as he scratched him beneath his chin, earning a little stomp of affection.

**\Route 1...\**

The sky was fading orange, as the sun slowly descended. There were small flocks of pidgey flying past the two.

"We're almost there, just a little more!" Michael shouted over the sound of the wind. As they continued, the faint glimmer of lights could be seen.

"There it is! Land in front of there!" He pointed toward a laboratory with a large glass dome in it. Probably a habitat for pokemon. And as commanded, Dragonite descends down to the front.

"I'll be back. Feel free to take a rest." He said before walking through the automatic doors. A scientist comes from the hallway to greet him.

"Well if it isn't Michael, what brings you here?" He asked.

"Is Juniper here, or is this a bad time?"

"Your sister? She's over there." He pointed a finger to the hallway. With that he began to walk down the hallway, looking through the glass wall. Inside was what looked like a pokemon habitat, with tall trees and grass. There was a woman in a white coat crouched near a small pond with her back turned.

"Hey, sis. Long time no see." He says casually placing an arm over her shoulder, but this made her jump.

"Mike, you ass!" She shouted before slugging him in the arm.

"Ow, take it easy!"

"It's been three months since you visited, and you scare me?!" She slugged him again.

"Ah! Okay, okay, sorry!" He raised both hands in surrender.

"So what do you need?"

"I just came to talk."

"About what?"

"Well, Manuel, for starters. He has emotion now."

"How did that happen?" Juniper asked, paying absolutely no attention to her brother. There was an azurill next to her feet. She never cared that much for people troubles, she felt more passionate about pokemon and their struggles. The azurill's tail was all bandaged up.

"Well, he met a pokemon." Things were getting more uncomfortable. Michael wasn't feeling confident about talking about the kissing incident with her. In fact, he was sure not to tell her.

"Really?" This seemed to perk her up. "What kind?"

"It's some weird kind of riolu."

"How so?" Michael sighed.

"She looks similar... Almost like she's human..."

"What? Did you catch it?!" She immediately holds him by his shirt with an excited smile.

"No, net yet."

"Why not?" She whined making the same pouty face Lexy does.

"I don't think her or Manuel would like that."

"What, why?!" She kept whining.

"The way I see it..." Michael turned around, trying not to show his face. "...They've gotten pretty close..."

"Aw, no fair!" She was seriously acting like a child at this point.

(This is why I haven't visited in a while...)

"Calm down! In a few more years or so, I'll send them both your way."

"How can you be so sure she'll stay with you guys?" She asked curiously. This earned a chuckle from Michael.

"We just need to let nature take it's course."

"What the heck are you even talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough, this kind of news shouldn't be spread around." Professor Juniper sighed in frustration.

"Fine..." She said obviously upset at him.

"I just have one thing to ask?" He told her.

"What is it?"

"Do you still have that luxury ball? Oh, and another one of those Pokedex things?"

"Oh, I see." Her pouty face became a smile. She pulled one out from her coat pocket, casually tossing the ball to him.

"Um, thanks. I got to go now, it's getting late."

"See ya!" She waved goodbye. "And don't forget to bring it back here when you catch the thing!"

"I wontt!" He waved back before leaving the same way he came in. Dragonite lifted its head from the ground as soon as he saw Michael.

"Come on, Dragonite. One last stop and you're done." The dragonite only nodded in understanding.

**\Pinwheel Forest: The Waterfall...\**

It was now night time. Not a single sound was heard throughout the forest except for the reverberating sound of the waterfall.

"You've done enough, Dragonite. Thank you." Dragonite only nodded knowing his work was done, he can now rest. Michael pressed the button on his pokeball, letting the flash of red light take him. With that taken care of he walked closer to the lake until he was against the edge of the water.

"Sid, I know you're still here! Come out so we can talk!" He shouted playfully. Moments after, that same fog rolled in. It felt cold, but Michael wasn't scared one bit. This was normal for him.

_"It has been a while..."_ A calm voice echoed in his head. A yellow figure emerged from the fog, levitating a few inches above the ground.

_"Greetings, Michael. I see you're doing well."_

"And to you, too."

_"I have you to thank for that." _The pokemon reminded him, as he turned his back to the man. There was a large red gash in the center of his back, almost like they came from some kind of whip.

_"So how may I be of assistance?"_

"Is it safe to say you met my boy?"

_"I figured he belonged to you... He appears problematic..."_

"Did you by any chance find out if it was that riolu making him act this way?"

_"Indeed, it is."_

"I thought so..."

_"Is that all you needed to know?"_

"Not quite... What can you tell me about his colors?"

_"Ah, yes. You mean his eyes..."_ He started pacing back and forth over the water, stroking his whiskers.

_"You see Michael, the cause of his eyes changing color seem to be his emotions. They're too strong for the boy to control just yet. For whatever reason, his emotions also seem to affect him physically."_

"That would explain how he ran so fast, and then how he managed to land on his feet last second..."

_"But there's more."_

"What else is there?"

_"When I looked through his memories, I saw what happened when his emotions got the better of him."_

"And?"

_"The boys eyes turned red, and his strength grew immensely. He was able to hold an older boy by the throat with such ease."_

"W-what?"

_"The trainer responsible for her injury was that young adolescent, and your boy could've done much worse if he wanted to."_

(That explains why he's so different. Normally he's quite and so blank...)

_"If something isn't done about the boy's temper, I'm afraid the outcome won't be very pleasant for him."_

"Maybe... Maybe we can teach him to better understand what happened to him."

_"Perhaps... Very well then. Bring him here any time you feel he's ready."_ He said turning his back to Michael.

_"It is time for me to rest. Goodbye, Michael."_

"Yeah, see ya."

_"One more thing before I go."_ He faced back to look him in the eyes. _"The pokemon_—_the boy cares for her deeply."_

"Yeah... I kinda figured..." He said, remembering the moment those two shared when he was still in the room.

_"I wouldn't advise on separating the two."_

"I see. Thank y—" He paused when he realised there was no one there. Michael sighed. "Guess I should be on my way, too..." He threw the bag over his shoulder and took the long way home...

**Hey guys, sorry for this chapter STILL being too short. This was just meant to be a continuation of what Michael was doing and I couldn't improve on it without boring the crap out of you guys. Thanks for reading everybody!**


	5. Chapter 3: Taken

Chapter 3: Taken

It was a normal cold and windy day. Both children were in the kitchen eating breakfast, while the father was watching TV. The mother was still asleep upstairs.

"Oh yeah, I never said thanks back there." Manuel was the first to get up from the table. He made his way to the sink ready to his plate.

_"For fwat?"_ Scarlet asked. Her mouth was stuffed with pancakes.

"I don't know how to swim yet, so I was basically stranded."

_"Ohf, nof proflem."_ She said before taking a big gulp. She stabbed another pancake from the middle of the table and placed it on her plate.

"You really love those, don't you?" He asked with a smile.

_"Fluffy disc taste good."_ She said jokingly, earning her a chuckle from the boy.

"Okay Manuel, ready to go back there again?" His father was at the doorway. He looked anxious to leave.

"Uh actually, I was kinda hoping for a day to me and Scarlet." He said.

"Why did you choose that for a name?" He asked curiously, watching her scarf down another pancake.

"Her eyes are red when she's happy."

"I see that now." He said in surprised, she just finished all their pancakes.

_"Is there any more?"_ She asked raising her plate.

"Sorry, that was the last one."

*giggle* "I'll make some for you later, just go play you two." Lexy was now at the doorway poking her head out from behind Michael's shoulder.

"When did you get up?" Michael asked.

"Just in time to hear our new friend's name." ^_^

*sigh* "Fine, take a sweater though." He said with a hand over his face.

"I will." He said excitingly. As Scarlet waited outside, the boy was upstairs.

"What did I do with that old thing?" He asked as he checked his closet. He checked the entire rack only to find it wasn't there.

"Maybe I folded it up?" He looked at his feet to see a box of his clothes. He began removing shirt after shirt from the box, until he noticed something at the bottom; it was a blue sleeve.

"Hey did you find it yet?" His father asked. He walked in to see his boy wearing a sweater that ended at his waist.

"Looks like you need a new hoodie kiddo."

"Why, what's wrong with this one?" He asked curiously.

"Lift up your arms." He told the boy. As he raised both arms, the sweater hiked up showing part of his shirt.

"Uh huh, that's what I thought."

*sigh* "Looks like I'm going to have to give you your new clothes early." He said with a smile, almost like he was expecting this. He went back to his room and came back with a box of his own.

"Go ahead, open it!" He told the boy anxiously. As he removed the lid, he found a black pair of cargo pants next to a red long sleeve shirt. Beneath that was a pair of black sneakers with red laces next to a red hoodie.

"Holy crap, thanks dad!" He said excitingly. Red and black were his favorite two colors. Without a moment to spare, he rushed to the bathroom to try out his new clothes.

"Um, dad?" The boy said as he came back out only after five minutes.

"Ye—" He turned to see the sleeves to his sweater and shirt pulled back and his pants sagging down.

"Pfft-hahahaha!" His father was bursting into laughter.

"Shut up!" His eyes flashed dark pink as the boy blushed.

"I-I'm sorry I forgot you're too young," He said still struggling to stop laughing. "An-and to make matters worse, you're way too skinny to fit-hahahaha!"

"Just-just change back out of those and hang them up." He said gasping for air. The boy did as he was told, feeling disappointed he couldn't wear them just yet. After another five minutes He came back with his regular old clothes. He still had the new hoodie on, but the sleeves were folded back.

"You gonna throw the old one away?" The father asked, exhausted after laughing so hard.

"No, I have a better idea." He said before walking out of the room with his old sweater in hand. As he left outside he was greeted by Scarlet.

_"So what should we do?"_ She asked.

"Hm, I think there's an old tree house not too far from here." He said, looking out into the forest. "It should be somewhere near the base of this mountain."

"I never noticed the view before. It looks great from up here." He said as he looked back at her, his eyes were a bright red. As he looked back at her, he noticed she had her arms wrapped around herself, shivering.

(She's cold…) He pulled out his old blue hoodie from underneath his new red one. His eyes were now turquoise.

"Here, try this on." The boy said with a caring voice. She only gave a nod before turning around to try it on.

(Why is she doing that? She's been naked the whole time…) As she turned back around to face him, the boy couldn't help but smile.

(She looks cute wearing my clothes…) He thought as he stared at how part of the sweater hid her legs. His eyes flashed pink.

"Better?"

_"Better."_ She said back with a shaky voice.

"So how about a race to the bottom?" He asked.

_"Alright, you're on!"_ Both children lined up near the porch of the house as if it were a starting line and took position. Little did they know they were both being watched. A woman with short grey hair and a black coat was hiding in a tree. What stood out the most from her, was her left arm. It looked like it was metal arm meant for catching pokemon. She was just standing there, watching them.

"Hm, so it looks like the little bitch made a friend. This is gonna be fun." She said with a sinister smile. She pulled out three pokeballs from her hand and tossed them in to the air.

**\\\**

"1…"

"2…" As the boy took his eyes off the ground to stare at Scarlet, he noticed a small red flashes of light in the trees. His eyes flashed orange.

"Look out!" He screamed as he threw her to the side. A large metal hand slammed him hard against the side of the mountain. His hood was pulled over him by the force of this, hiding his eyes in the shade. His head dangling there limp.

_"Manuel!"_ She shouted. Her eyes flashed turquoise as she rushed to his side. Tears were starting to well up.

"Well if it isn't the little bitch." A voice called out teasingly. Soon enough, a woman carried by a salamance rose from the side of the cliff. There was a weavile on each side of the woman.

_"You!"_ Her eyes turned murky red as she clenched both fists in anger.

"If you're a smart girl you'll come with me." She leapt off her dragon and turned her head in the direction of the boy.

"Hard to believe he's still breathing, I can fix that you know." She said giving a sinister grin. As soon as she said that her eyes flashed turquoise again.

*sigh* "_You win, just let him go."_ She said waving her hands in surrender.

"You two, get her now!" She commanded both weavile, each one holding her up by the arm.

"Wow, this is gonna be easier than I thought!" She said with a smile. She was just about to release the boy and take off with her.

"Then...huff...then let me make things a little harder…huff" A weak voice said. She turned to her left to see to see that the boy was still in the same position as he was before.

"Who said that?!" She shouted.

"I'm…I'm right in front of you…huff" He said still weak.

"Well well well, having trouble falling asleep?" She started walked over to the boy. "Let me just help you with that." She gave another grin.

"You can... huff you…huff" He murmured.

"What was that?" She squeezed the boy tighter with her metal hand. "Could you speak a little louder." She smiled knowing this would make him cry out in pain. But to her surprise, there was no response.

"I said...huff you can TRY YOU BITCH!" He growled with a raspy voice as he picked up his head to look her in eyes. His eyes were glowing a menacing murky red. He was slowly but surely pushing back the metal hand.

"IF YOU WANT HER, THEN YOU'll HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME FIRST!" He screamed.

"Oh, that look in your eyes," She said with a smile. "I like it!" She began punching the boy senseless. Hit after hit, his field of vision grew smaller until all he could see was right in front of him. He didn't know how much more he could take of this. All Scarlet could do was watch in horror as the boy was battered. Her eyes were becoming too watery to even see. As soon as he heard her quiet sobs, his attention was immediately on her, His eyes flashing turquoise. She punched him one final time before letting the boy drop to the ground.

"How pathetic, you're all bark and no bite." She said teasingly.

"We've wasted enough time here, let's return to the cave!" As commanded both weavile and the woman climbed on to the dragon, taking off with Scarlet. All the boy could do was watch helplessly. He closed his eyes in defeat, letting rest take over. As soon they were shut, A familiar voice echoed inside his head.

_(So this is how it's gonna be child...)_

(What do you mean?)

_(You're just gonna let that woman take her?)_

(What other choice is there?)

_(I saw what you're capable of child, just remember how you two met...)_ The voice said in a trusting voice. He started remembering the first day he met Scarlet. How she was battered and bruised.

_(Now tell me child, are you going to just let something like that happen to her again?)_

(...No...) He replied obediently.

_(Good...Then rise child...)_ The voice commanded. As if he were a puppet, the boy's body stood up on it's own. His arms fell, and his legs were wobbly. His eyes darted open, they were his original grey color. Both parents were by his side, along with that yellow pokemon from before. His father was staring out into the sky.

"Michael, he's awake!" She shouted wrapping her arms around the boy.

"What, really?!" His father turned around surprised.

"How long?" He asked in an emotionless voice.

"Only five minutes, but hang on we—"

"SHE'S GONNA PAY FOR THAT!" He growled with a raspy voice, His eyes started to glow red again. In an instant, the boy leapt off the side of the mountain, scaring his mother half to death.

"But she-He just-I mean, how?" She was at a loss of words. Her son was just slammed hard enough to break a few if his ribs, was beaten unconscious, and now, he just leaps off the side of a mountain as if he were a freaking ninja.

*sigh* "This is what happens when you when don't take things seriously." He said in a stern voice.

"Look, I'll make sure he doesn't do anything extreme, okay?" He said in a calm and caring voice. He pulled out a pokeball and threw into the air. As the red light dissipated, Dragonite appeared.

"No time to talk, just follow that blur!" He commanded as he climbed on to his back. The pokemon flew off almost at the same speed, kicking up dust in the process. The mother was all alone now, all she could do was collect her thoughts.

(What's an alakazam doing here anyways?) She thought to herself as she looked back at the pokemon.

_"You must be the boy's mother, my name is Sid."_ A voice echoed, startling her.

_"I assure you, I mean no harm."_ The pokemon stared off into the forest.

_"Your child is very...special from others."_ He said in a calm tone.

*sigh* "Please be okay…" She said with a worried voice, as she stared off into the same direction.

**\\\**

"I said slow down!" He called out to his son. It's only been two minutes and the dragonite still hasn't fully caught up with him. The boy was moving unbelievably fast, but it was obvious he couldn't outrun a dragon.

"SHE NEEDS HELP" The boy growled, looking back at his father. He was gaining on him.

"You're pushing yourself too hard!" His father shouted back. He was right though; the boy was starting to slow down. His dragon leaned left and was now closing in on the child.

"I'M FINE!"

"No, you're not!" As soon as the boy was in reach, the father yanked him onto the dragon's back.

"Do you even know where she is?!"

"She said...something about a cave." He said in between breaths. His eyes dimmed back down, seeing as he has time to rest. The father looked back ahead catching on by what he meant. She was somewhere at the base of the mountain.

"Good, there's only two caves, and they're both connected." The father sighed in relief. He turned back to his son with two pokeballs in hand. One was a normal pokeball, while the other was black with a gold trim around the middle.

"Use this one only if a pokemon attacks."

"You're actually gonna let me help her?"

"Well If your mom asks, I'll just say you were being defiant." He said with a smile.

"Whatever you do, Just wait until I make the first move."

"What's the other one for?" The boy asked, pointing to the gold trim pokeball.

"If things get too rough, I want you to throw this at Scarlet." Hearing this, made the boy's eyes flash turquoise. He only nodded before, taking both pokeballs from his hands. His eyes went back to their murky red color.

(I won't let it come down this...) He thought to himself.

"We're coming up on the first cave." He pointed. As they were about to land, the boy actually jumped off, this time scaring his father.

"Remember, don't push yourself too hard!" He shouted before taking off.

"Wait, come back!" He called out, but it was already too late.

*sigh* "At least tell me what kind it is." He said to himself. The boy took one last look back before running off into the cave.

**Grey: Nothing, emotionally cut off, just woke up**

**Bright Red: Happy, joyful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged, determined**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, sadness, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, not confident, scared of rejection, doubt**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant**

**Purple: Total awareness, heavy thought, confused**


	6. Chapter 4: Innocent Love

**Sorry for this chapter being so late. I was extremely busy with my school life. Things should calm down a little, so you can still expect more chapters. I made this chapter extra long for you guys. I also realized that some of you might be wondering who's talking, so I thought I should make this a little easier for you to understand.**

**"Human"**

_**[Pokemon]**_

_**"Scarlet"**_

Chapter 4: Innocent Love

There was a large metal door with a keypad right next to it. Behind it, was Scarlet, resting on a hard concrete slab (Bed) in one corner, and a dim green light in the other. She had a depressed expression on her face. Her eyes were murky red.

_(Some pokemon I am...)_ She thought to herself. Her back was against the wall. This wasn't the first time this had happened. As a matter of fact, this became a regular thing for her. It was always some trainer or some hunter that wanted her. Except this time, things were completely different.

_(I couldn't even protect my… my...)_ She lowered her head and closed her eyes. The memory of yesterday drifted through her mind. The way he pressed his lips against hers, and the way she melted in. Her eyes turned dark pink and her face was completely red. She looked completely flustered.

_"What the hell am I thinking?!"_ She sat back up and shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her head. At the same time, the sound of someone literally screaming their head off was coming from the other side of the door.

_"Hurry up and throw the crazy mutt in already!"_ The voice demanded.

_[Why don't we just use one of those capsules to hold her in?]_ One of the voices asked.

_[Because the boss doesn't have the ingredients to make that gold cement stuff!]_ The other answered. _[I'll keep holding her, just hurry up and get typing!] _

_[You worthless pricks! Let me go already!]_ Another voice shouted. A few pings of a keypad later, the door slid open and another pokemon was tossed in. Scarlet looked up, curious as to what kind of pokemon it was .It was black and blue, with cream colored fur around her stomach and chest. It had a spike on the back of each forepaw, and another on it's chest. It's ears were long and four small black appendages on the back of her head. It was obviously a female lucario.

_[Have fun you two.]_ A weavile waved teasingly before letting door then closed itself.

[Urgh, Just wait until I get my hands on the both of you!] The pokemon shouted. She raised both her hands at the door.

_"That's not going to work, you know…"_ She said with a careless expression. The pokemon only turned back, realizing there was someone else with her.

_[What, why?]_

_"I don't know. It's just the way this stupid room works."_ The pokemon took a step closer, with a curious look on her face. She leaned over. Her eyes turned dark green as she did this.

_[A riolu…?]_ She said with strange tone. _"Is something wrong?"_ She asked worryingly.

_[Er no, I've just never seen a riolu like you before.]_ The pokemon answered.

_[(No paws... And her legs ...Wait, is that hair?)]_ She walked around, taking seat next to her. She looked at her hoodie, trying to change the subject.

_[So who gave you that anyways?]_ She pointed. Her eyes flashed turquoise.

_"Oh, this...? ...Just some idiot…"_ Her voice cracked a little, as a single tear fell from her face.

_[Hey, you okay?]_ She said in a comforting voice. She scooted closer, rubbing her back for comfort. It was almost like if she was a mother.

_"No, I'm not..."_ She buried her head in the pokemon's chest.

_"Someone I know got hurt because of me!"_

_[Who?]_

_"My…"_ She hesitated. _"I don't know…"_

_[You don't know?]_

_"He's treated me with nothing but kindness, and...and—"_ The sound of giggling threw her off. She looked up at the pokemon, completely confused.

_[So that's how it is...]_ Scarlet's eyes turned dark pink, realizing what the pokemon did. "You read my thoughts?!" She shouted. The young pokemon was completely embarrassed.

_[Calm down, I didn't go very far in!]_ She said, waving both paws teasingly. Scarlet only gave her a glare. She shook off her playful smile realizing this wasn't the right time.

_"I might not see him again..."_ She said with a gloomy expression on her face. Her eyes turned turquoise.

_[I know how you feel though. My master's probably worried sick about me...]_

_(A master...)_ She thought to herself. Her fists were clenched and her eyes turned dark green.

_"What's it like anyways? With your master."_

_[He's honestly not all that different from yours. He's a kind and caring person. He puts my needs before his own. The only thing that is different is… well...]_ The young pokemon blushed, catching on to what she meant. Her eyes turned dark pink.

_"I-It isn't like that!" _

_[Sure it isn't!]_ She playfully, rolled her eyes. Scarlet lowered her head back down and her eyes turned dark green.

_"But doesn't he make you battle?" _

_[Mine never forced me to. Instead, he waited until I was ready.] _

_[Here's my question. What are you so afraid of?]_ She asked curiously. The pokemon only stared down at her feet, refusing to look up.

_"Nothing... I just don't…"_ She paused.

_(Who am I kidding? Why am I even talking to her about this?) _

_[Look, I'm sure your master won't force—] _

_"He is not my master!"_ She growled. Her eyes were murky red. The lucario only gave her a look of concern.

_[I'm sure he wants to be though...]_ The pokemon said with an honest voice. She looked back at her, puzzled.

_[And it's obvious that he cares about you...]_ This got her thinking to herself. She remembered was starting to remember what brought her here in the first place. He was slammed into the side of a mountain, instead of her. And she gave herself up so she wouldn't hurt him.

_"Yeah… he does…" _

**\\\ **

After running for five minutes now, the boy finally stopped at the edge of a cliff. His eyes were purple. There was a large open cavern ahead. He surveyed around the place, taking in every feature possible. To his left, was a way down. A square shaped staircase. To his right, was another passage just across the way.

(How did he know they were connected anyways?) He looked back into the cavern. On the other side of the cavern was a metal door.

(Maybe She's in there...) Taking a second look, he noticed the two weavile from before.

(Of course… It's never that easy...) He pulled out a red pokeball from his pocket.

(Let's see what he gave me first...) With a press of a button, a small flash of red light appeared. As the light faded a small green serpent appeared before the boy. It had a calm, collected demeanor.

"Really Dad… A snivy...?"

_[Well fuck you too then...]_ The pokemon turned it's back to the boy, with both arms folded. The boy was running out of options. If he tried to save Scarlet, the two weavile could easily one hit KO the little grass snake. If he attacked with the snivy head on, he would lose his only chance of saving her. If he waited to long, there was a risk of her being moved somewhere else. He stared back at the door. His eyes became murky red.

(I can't take it anymore!) He mentally screamed to himself. His fists were clenched in anger. He looked at the snake. The anxiety was getting to the boy.

"Okay Snivy, looks like my dad's not here yet. So we're gonna have to start without him."

"See that door?" He pointed. "Somewhere behind that door my friend Scarlet's in there. I'll distract those two, while you sneak in, and look for her." The pokemon turned back around, surprised at what the boy said.

_[You're insane if you think I'm gonna go along with this!]_

"Yeah-no. You realize I can't understand a word you're saying..."

"I mean it though. I order you stay behind here until I have their attention. Got it?" The pokemon only nodded in disapproval.

"Oh well, here goes nothing." The boy slowly backed up and took a deep breath.

"Hey shitheads!" He shouted to the two. "Over here!" Both pokemon jumped, completely spooked at the sudden shouted. They both looked up at the boy. He had his hoodie up, hiding his face. The only things visible were his brown hair and his murky red eyes. He jumped off the the edge, landing with a loud clang. He looked down, wondering what he landed on. It was a small, metal pipe.

_[It's that brat!] _One of the weavile shouted.

_[He still standing?! But the boss made sure he was out for the count!] _

_[Who cares?! Just teach him a lesson!]_ He shouted back. Both weavile charged straight for the boy. The boy bent over, scooping the pipe up. He charged in too, holding the pipe as tight as possible. As soon as he brought the pipe up, the first weavile easily swatted out of his hands. He looked to his left. His eyes widened. It was stabbed into the ground, just a few feet away. He was immediately hit with a claw to the head. He was now on his back. His head felt surprisingly warm, and all he could hear was a loud ring, as he clenched his right ear. He stared up at the weavile curious as to what happened. His white claws were now a metallic grey. (Metal Claw) both weaviles' eyes widened as sat up.

(Get up…) He thought to himself.

_[The fu—]_

"This pain… It's honestly nothing…" The boy mumbled. His voice became slightly deeper and raspy again.

"THE OLD HAG HITS HARDER THAN YOU!" He growled. He rose back up, casting aside his pain. He rushed forward again.

_[I'll show you who hits harder!]_ With that, the other came charging in. His claws were purple, as he jabbed the boy in one swift motion. (Poison Jab) He toppled over, breathless. His skin became pale.

(Again… AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES...) He thought to himself. He slowly, but surely stood back up. His eyes were glowing brighter. This time he didn't bother to run forward.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT?!" He growled with a fake smile. This time both weavile rushed forward. Both sets of claws started to glow black. (Night Slash) He stood there, ready to take them head on. His smile faded and became serious look, while his eyes started to glow orange...

**\\\ **

The sounds of shouting could be heard from the other side of the door. It was obvious someone was fighting.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU GOT?!" A familiar voice shouted.

_(He's here…)_ Scarlet thought to herself. Her eyes flashed bright red as she felt relief. He was okay, and soon, she could see him again.

_[You think you can handle yourself?]_ The lucario asked curiously. She put a hand on the young pokemon's shoulder.

_[It sounds like we're gonna have to fight our way out of here.] _

_"I don't know to be perfectly honest..."_ Her eyes turned dark green.

_[Well then, looks like you're just gonna have to tough it out.]_ She said with a playful smile, showing a pair of fangs. The door nudged open a little. Two green tentacle like vines came through.

_[Come on, move!]_ A voice shouted. Both Scarlet and the lucario stuck their hands through the cracks.

_[Ready?]_ The lucario asked. She only nodded, while her eyes flashed murky red.

_[Push!]_ Their feet were against the wall. With one final push the door opened wide enough for them to escape.

_[Let's hurry, I left the kid alone with two weavile!]_ She looked down realizing who her little rescuer was. It was a small green serpent with. He had a worried expression on his face.

_"Where is he?"_ She asked, taking a peek out the room. She was in a small hallway. To her right was a pair of double doors. While to her left was the exit, along with four other holding cells. Each one, with it's own keypad. They were all opened enough to see inside. Each one was empty.

_[This way!]_ He said, going left. Scarlet followed the little grass snake.

_[Hang on a sec!]_ The lucario called out. Both pokemon turned back curious. She walked toward the keypad to their cell and placed her paw. A wave or energy came shooting out. (Force Palm) The keypad made a loud pop noise, as the circuitry fried. Scarlet's eyes widened in surprise.

_[What?] _

_"That was force palm…" _

_[Yeah and?]_ She asked innocently.

_"Mine's nowhere near as strong as that…"_ The lucario sighed hearing this.

_[Watch how I do it.]_ She walked over to the second keypad, placing her paw again. That same wave of energy came shooting out. This time the keypad sizzled, then out of nowhere, it caught flame.

_"Like this?"_She walked over to a keypad, hovering her left hand straight above it. Her fingers were closed, and arced back so her palm was more flat than before. She gently pressed her palm against it. Instantly, her entire hand light up. A surge of power came bursting with even more force. The move itself was enough knock on her rear end. It was literally the equivalent of firing a shotgun. The keypad didn't pop or sizzle. Instead, it made a loud bang. The lights to the hallway blew out simultaneously. A few seconds later, it bursted into flames. The only light available came from the the two small flames.

_[Well… That was something…]_ As soon as she said this, the third keypad exploded, causing Scarlet to shriek in surprise, her eyes flashed yellow.

_[Do you have any idea what you've just done?!]_ He shouted, flapping his stubby arms. _[Great! Just flippin great! Not only is my master's kid probably getting his ass handed to him, but NOW they're on to us!]_ He wasn't at all amazed at what the young pokemon did. Instead, he was frantically panicking from their situation. The two pokemon glanced at each other before taking off in a full sprint to the exit.

**\\\**

On Michael's end, he had finally reached the end of his cave. ready for a fight. He peered off the edge of his cliff, wondering how to get down. His completely surprised at what he saw. Both weavile were knocked out. Next to the two unconscious bodies, was a lone boy in a red hood. It was definitely his own son. His skin was pale. One of his arms was dangling, while he held onto it with the other. His breathing was so loud, it echoed. His legs even looked like they were about to give any moment.

"Jesus tap dancing Christ! What the hell is wrong with you?!" The boy turned to his father, completely spooked. As soon as he was back to his senses, his body immediately gave out. Without a single moment of hesitation, he threw out his dragonite, then jumped. He landed right on it's back as it slowly descended. The minute it was on the ground, he took off running to his boy. "Took long…" He said with a serious face. He scooped him up removing his hood. His face had a few cuts and scrapes, and his face was pale.

"You look like crap!"

"I feel like crap…" He casually groaned. His father only tilted his head in confusion. He said it like he wasn't even worried.

"Are you alright?!"

"I'm tired, nauseous, and I have a huge migraine. What do you think?"

"Look, just find Scarlet and Snivy so we can—"

_"Manuel?"_ A voice call out. He did his best to move his head. But it was no use. His body wouldn't listen.

"Never mind…"

_[I told you he was gonna get his ass handed to him!]_ The snivy grumbled. Scarlet hovered over the boy with a look of surprise and worry.

"I'll be fine... It looks worse than it is…" He said with a fake smile.

_[Sweet freedom!]_ Another voice spoke. Soon the figure appeared into his line of sight. It took of running. The pokemon didn't bother with the stairs, it simply jumped.

"A lucario?"

"We don't have time for this!" His father interrupted. "Let's get out of here before—"

"Salamance! Hyper beam!" A voice shouted. Soon after, a beam of red light came shooting out from the hallway. Everyone turned to the right to see who was hit. It was Dragonite. They looked back at the doorway to see who their attacker was. The same woman that knocked him out.

"Just wait until I get my hands on you! I'll-I'll—" The boy shouted in anger. His eyes flashed murky red, as he tried to stand back up. He felt a sharp pain spread throughout his body, forcing him down on one knee, still holding his arm. His father grabbed him by the shoulder.

(Come on! Move damn it!) He! mentally screamed to himself, as he tried to rise.

"Stop pushing yourself already!" His father ordered. He looked back at Scarlet and sighed.

"Scarlet take care of him, please." The boy just glared back at his father, not saying a single word. She only nodded, understanding the situation.

"Don't give me that look. Your mothers gonna freak when she sees you." The boy turned to see Scarlet was right next to him. Her eyes were turquoise. She kneeled over, letting him put his arms around her shoulder. She wrapped hers around his waist for support. As they made their way to side of the cavern.

_"You're an idiot." _

"Stop calling me that already…" He said with an irritated voice.

_"I didn't ask for you to rescue me." _

"You don't have to. I'll do it anyways…" He said in an honest tone. She looked up at him, surprised.

"I said I would go through all that trouble again if it meant helping you..." He said. As soon as they were close enough, the boy set himself down. The black luxury ball slid out from the pocket of his hoodie, falling right in front of her. Her eyes turned yellow. She was shocked he actually had one of those things.

_(He does want to catch me...) _

_(This whole time he could've caught me...) _

_(I can't believe him...)_ She backed away, unsure of what to do. He only glanced down, wondering what she is staring at. It was that black pokeball his father gave him.

(Is she scared of it?) He stared at her, wondering what to say to her. She looked ready to run or something. And then it hit him.

"Hey... I can smash this... If you want..." She stared back, still unsure of what to say. She looked confused.

_"What?" _

"There's a metal pipe right over there." He pointed over to behind her. The pipe was still there, sticking right out of the ground. "Just say the word and I'll smash it myself..."

_"You don't want to catch me?"_ She asked. He only scooped up the pokeball and stared at it. His serious expression became a frown.

"You know what... I really do..." He forced himself up with a look of disappointment. His eyes were dark green. He walked right passed her. She turned around trying to see what he was planning. He stopped right next to the pipe, taking one last look at the pokeball before shoving it back in his pocket. He used his good arm to free the pipe from it's earthy prison.

_(Is he really going to go through with it?)_ She thought to herself. Peacefully, the boy walked back to his original spot. He dropped the pipe to his side and placed the pokeball right next to it. His expression became serious again.

"But that doesn't mean I won't smash this thing into a million pieces..." He looked back at the young pokemon, giving a serious look. She seemed worried and confused at the same time.

_"Can't you use it on another pokemon?" _

(_What the heck am I saying? That's just as bad!)_ She mentally screamed at herself.

"I don't want another pokemon... I don't even like battling all that much…"

_(So he really isn't gonna force me?)_

"I'd rather have you than any other pokemon..."

_(But why?)_ And then it happened again. The image of their kiss at the waterfall popped right back her head. No matter how many times she tried, that image would never leave.

_(If he does this... Can I still stay?) _

_(I need to know...)_ Just as he was raising the pipe from the ground, something brought his hand back down. Scarlet's hand was resting on his. He looked back up at her, wondering what's wrong. She was staring back at him. Her eyes were dark green.

_"I want to stay... With you I mean... Can I?"_ She asked with a shy voice. It was almost as if she were nervous.

(I'm getting sick of this… I want answers too...) He thought to himself. It felt like something was eating away at him with every question he had to answer.

"But can you live with being my pokemon?" He said with a serious face. He needed to know as well. She froze again. It was like he knew just what to say to get a reaction out of her. She started to think again, trying her best to remember even the little things.

_(He got that trainer to back off...) _

_(Shared his bed with me...) _

_(Given me food and even this… I don't even know what this is...) _She thought as she stared back at her hoodie_. _

_(He's treated me with nothing but kindness...) _

_(I'm not done yet… I still need to know one more thing...) _

"Think of it this way… No one else can capture you..." Nothing. It was like she was staring right into him as she continued to think. She was trying to get something out of him, but what? It felt like he was in trouble for something.

"Look... I'm not forcing you to do this..." He said in an irritated voice. He was becoming impatient.

_"But that's just it! Why?! You're the one with the pokeball! You're the one in charge! So why have me choose?!"_ She shouted in anger. Her eyes turned murky red. She was still trying to think.

"Because I love you!" He shouted back. He slammed his free hand against the cavern wall in anger, cracking it in the process. His eyes turned dark pink and his face was turning red. It was getting hard for him to stay mad.

_(He... Loves me?)_ She thought to herself. Her eyes turned yellow as tears started to well up. It was all she needed to hear from him. She moved her hand away from his and shut her eyes, hoping to get it over with. She was still afraid, but at least she wanted this now. He grabbed the pokeball and slowly moved closer. Her eyelids were twitching from fear and anticipation. She was ready for the pokeball, but it never came. She opened her eyes wondering why he hasn't used it yet. Her question was answered as his face met hers. He softly pressed his lips against hers. Her body ached, and her face felt like it was burning up. Her eyes turned pink as she gently closed them. She could feel just how much he meant it. Her body relaxed itself, as she gave in.

_(Only if it's him... I'll be Manuel's pokemon...)_

With that, he raised his arm and lightly tossed the ball into her lap, letting it bounce off her. It stood there, hovering for second before opening up. She pulled away, letting the red light envelope her body. As the light disappeared, she was gone. The pokeball was now rolling on the ground. It shook once, then twice, then one more time before finally clicking. Without a moment to waste, he lunged at the ball and pressed the button. That same red light from before appeared, releasing her from confinement. Her eyes were yellow. She pounced the boy, nuzzling her head into his chest. As she quietly sobbed, the boy couldn't help but smile. His eyes were a bright cheerful red.

"See? Didn't even hurt a bit..." He softly whispered into her ear.

_"Then that's it... We're done?"_ She asked in a muffled voice. He rubbed her back in comfort. A single tear of his own fell from his face.

"Yeah... We're done..." He chuckled.

_"Then what's so funny?"_

"This pokeball means that you're officially mine. That means my home is your home now. No other trainer can catch you, and you can have aaallll the pancakes you want." Hearing the last brought a smile to her face. Her eyes turned bright red. And her entire body started glowing.

(What is this?) He thought to himself. She was glowing even brighter now. Her body started growing. Her tail became longer. She had two more of those aura sensors on the back of her head. Her fingers became more human like. On back of each hand, was a spike. When the light faded, she had fully evolved into a lucario.

"How do you feel?" He asked in concerned voice.

_"I feel... Taller..."_ She stood up looking at her hands. It felt so strange to her. It was almost as if someone just gave her a new body. She unzipped her hoodie curious to see the rest of herself. She had cream colored fur all around her torso, including a spike in the center of her chest. Her body seemed more feminine than it was supposed. He forced himself up, seeing for himself. She was right. She was now the same height as the boy.

"You are taller..."

_"How do I look?"_ She asked in a shy voice. He looked around her entire body, examining every feature. Her scruffy hair had grown longer. It easily covered her right eye. Her mouth seemed more canine, but not by all that much. Her hoodie was smaller, but it looked nice on her. And then he noticed her chest. Not only was there a spike in the middle, but she was more developed. Her fur barely hid her newly shown features. His eyes turned dark pink. He started blushing. His eyes immediately darted left, completely embarrassed.

"You look great... Beautiful even... It's just..."

_"Yeah?_" She asked, eager to see what he thinks. He looked backed into her eyes, trying hard not to stare back down. He was scratching the back of his head. It was one of those moments that if you said the wrong thing, (Which happens like 90% of the time) you could get slapped. He only pointed, giving her this uncomfortable look. Then a familiar voice brought the two back to reality.

"Drapion! Cross poison!" A voice commanded.

(Aaannnddd something to distract me…)

"Hey look! A fight!" He pointed. They looked back at the two adults, curious as to what happened. The salamance she had was gone, and in it's place was a large purple scorpion. Snivy and Dragonite seemed exhausted, and the lucario from before was nowhere to be found. Probably heading back to her trainer. He couldn't believe it. They were so wrapped up in their conversation, that they never even noticed the battle.

**\\\ **

The pokemon raised it's arms over it's head. Both sets of pincers started to glow. It brought them down in an X pattern, creating a blade of purple energy.

"Snivy! Dodge, then use leaf blade!" He commanded. The grass snake vaulted over it's purple obstacle. The leaf on it's tail started glowing light green. The pokemon was spinning forward, almost as if it were trying to imitate flame wheel. The move hit it's mark, dead center in the scorpions head. The pokemon was completely stunned from the impact.

"Dragonite! Finish it with dragon rush!" The dragon, immediately flew forward, launching clouds of dust. As it quickly picked up speed, the air around it's body started swirling around, glowing a faint purple. The hulking scorpion was too dazed to dodge. The dragon slammed his opponent into the cavern wall with amazing force. There was a crater left behind. It was safe to say the pokemon was out for the count.

"This isn't over! I still have one last pokemon!" She shouted in frustration. She withdrew Drapion back into it's pokeball, before summoning forth another.

"Ariados! Standby!" Sh called out. It was a red spider with black stripes, and it's legs were yellow with purple stripes.

"Ariados! Use leech life!" With that the red spider lunged forward. It used it's legs to grab a hold of Snivy.

"Use vine whip to get out of there!" Two vines then shot out from it's collar. Each one repeatedly striking the spider across the head, releasing the little grass snake from it's grip.

"Dragonite! Use fire punch, and end this!" As commanded, the dragon swooping down directly above it. It's arm was completely enveloped in flames, as it slammed down on it's opponent. The spiders legs gave out from the force of impact. "Get up! Now!" She ordered. But the pokemon didn't move. He was completely unconscious. His father pulled out a rope from his backpack.

"You're out of pokemon, the others are free, and I can smell the smoke from here! It's over!" He shouted.

"It's not over until I say it's—" She stopped mid sentence hearing something. It was the sound of something whooshing through the air. She turned to her left, meeting the end of a pipe. She simply fell snivy casually made it's way to the woman. He stood there for a second, before playfully lifting her arm and letting it drop.

_[Aaaannnddd she's out...]_

"Can we go home now?" A voice asked. The father turned back to his son in surprise. He was standing up on his own. With another pokemon. His eyes were bright red. And next to him was a lucario.

"You're okay?" The boy only gave him a confused look.

"What?" "Your skin! Look at your skin!" He pointed to the boy. He brought his hands to his face, curious as to what he was talking about.

"I don't see anything wrong."

"You mean you don't remember being poisoned?"

"Is that what that was?" He asked innocently.

"What?!" He shouted in surprise. The boy walked closer to his father. He put a hand on the boy's face examining at each side of him.

"I mean I felt sick. Like crap actually, but I didn't feel like I was gonna die."

"And your cuts are gone too…" He looked back over to the direction of the pokemon, trying to identify it. She had the same hoodie that Manuel was gonna get rid of. And her hand was entwined with his.

"Scarlet?" He guessed. The young pokemon only responded by waving her hand to him.

(Ah, Okay... Now I can tell it's a she...)

"So what are we gonna do with her?" The boy pointed to the woman. Snivy was still playing with her hand.

"Oh, her?" He playfully brought a rope from his backpack and smiled. "I'll be tying things up here. Tell your mother I'll be late to dinner for me."

**Hey guys, I'm really sorry for the delay. And even more sorry for leaving it off here. I'm trying my best here, but I'm really busy with school and my gaming life. Don't forget to review! **

**Grey: Nothing, emotionally cut off, tired, still waking up **

**Bright Red: Happy, playful **

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes **

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged, determined, impatient **

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, sadness, depression **

**Pink: Passionate, love **

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment **

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, self conscious, scared of rejection, doubt **

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised **

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control **

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant**

** Purple: Total awareness, heavy thought, confused**


	7. Chapter 5: A Happy Birthday for the Happ

**Guys, I'm am** _**SO **_**sorry for this chapter being way overdue; but to be fair, I have a huge list of excuses. When school was still out, I was busy with finals, had major heart problems, and some relationship issues. During the summer, living arrangements have changed, so I had less time to be alone with my work. I also lost contact with most of my friends. I'm not gonna lie, my inspiration sort of left and I lost interest. But now I'm back!**

**You've been waiting patiently for a new chapter, and here it is! Let me just cut to the chase here and say a HUGE amount of time has passed since the last chapter. If I continued day after day, the story would go nowhere and just get boring. Now on with the story!**

**Chapter 5: A Happy Birthday for the Happy Couple!**

It's been three years after Manuel caught Scarlet, and in that time, the two have both changed drastically. An obvious change was the their attitudes. A month after the incident with J, it seemed as though his emotions became more stable, thanks to help from Sid, the alakazam. It was like Manuel was getting more used to them, and had a more clear understanding about his feelings. He was still moody around his parents, but that was a common thing in teenagers.

Strange enough, Scarlet continued to grow. Her small breasts have nearly doubled in size, and grown to be well defined. The spikes on her hands and chest had dulled from the lack of battles, and yet her aura abilities have somehow improved. She could now sense things from greater distances and even create barriers. The only thing she couldn't do was Aura Sphere. Normally, for this to even be possible, there would have to be some kind of special training involved.

Lexy, being the lovable ditz she was, never saw Scarlet's development as a problem. Instead, she would occasionally find clothes for the young pokemon to wear around the house. Michael on the other hand, was obviously worried. He explained to his son how Scarlet was no ordinary lucario, and that her growth wasn't normal. He wanted to show both of them to Professor Juniper. She needed to run a few **(*Cough* Hundred)** tests to see what caused this strange and unnatural development; however, Manuel was quick to shut him down. It wasn't that he didn't trust his own aunt. He knew the tests would be harmless. **(*Cough* Maybe *cough, cough*)** It was just the minute they left the cave, they became inseparable. Where one went, the other follow. Michael, knew why, but chose to say nothing. Instead, he made a deal with his son. When Manuel became old enough to travel, he would be more than willing to go there with her...

**\Manuel's Room...\**

It was a calm fall morning. A soothing thin light shined through the curtains, revealing one of the sleeping two. A boy somewhere in his mid-teens, with messy dark brown hair. He wore a white long sleeve shirt and pair of black boxers. It was Manuel. His eyes opened, and the first thing he saw, was the blue sleeping figure cuddled up against him. She wore a plain white t-shirt and light blue briefs with a pair of buttons around the back. She laid there with her back against his chest. His hands were beneath her shirt, just innocently resting there on her stomach. His eyes flickered a few times before fully turning pink. He had a warm smile knowing who it was.

Cuddling with her became somewhat of a habit. If he didn't, Scarlet would be awake for almost the entire night. Her aura abilities made it easy to sense anything that came close to home. But he didn't mind this sort of thing. There was something about holding the other so close that gave them both such a fulfilling feeling.

He gently kissed her forehead, earning a tired moan in response. Her eyes opened a little.

"Morning, sleeping beauty."

_"Mmm..." _Scarlet turned around and facing him, her head now nuzzled into his neck.

_"Just a little longer?"_ She asked innocently, closing her eyes again. Manuel's face became a light shade of red. He didn't need his parents barging in on them like this. They haven't seen them do this sort of thing since the last time his mother eavesdropped. He learned to be more careful with who sees them, especially since their relationship was pretty much illegal. Over to his right, was a small black Xtransceiver he got last Christmas. It read 8:20am.

(It's only eight twenty. We still have plenty of time to sleep...) He glanced back at Scarlet, who rested peacefully on him.

"O-okay..." He answered nervously. He held her just a little closer to him, enjoying the way her fur felt against his skin. "Just a little longer..."

He started rubbing her back until she fell asleep. Her tail coiled around his leg, and her gentle breath ran down his neck. After what felt like forever, Scarlet was out again, and Manuel wasn't too far from resting either. He only gazed at the pokemon as she slept, admiring her beautiful figure.

(She's really grown...) He blinked.

(No matter how hard I try, all I think about is her...) He blinked again, this time even slower.

(Heh heh... Any guy would kill just to have an angel like this in their arms...) The boy mentally chuckled in satisfaction. His eyes closed for the final time.

(Looks like I'm one of the lucky ones...) He fell asleep with faint smile.

**\Later...\**

The sound of light foot steps could be heard from the hallway, each one closer than the last. The door slowly creaked open just enough to peek inside. The one to poke her head out was Lexy. When the mother saw the sleeping two, she couldn't help but smile. The lucario laid on top of her son with her head by his neck. He had his arms around her, almost afraid to let go. Her son had a faint smile on his face. It was obvious just how much they loved one another.

(So this is what happens behind closed doors...) The mother had a hand over her mouth, not wanting to make a sound. She knew about their little romance from the start, but this is the first time in a while that she ever saw them act this way.

(Well, at least he's happy...) She glanced at the Xtransceiver on his desk. It was now 9:10 a.m. If it were any other day, the two would sleep in until ten. Unfortunately for them, it isn't any other day.

(To think these two can sleep in for so long. What do they do all day?) She quietly crept over to the curtains—making sure not to wake the sleeping two—and opened them, brightening the entire room. Scarlet had somewhat of an irritated look, and Manuel moved a little in his sleep, his hands traveling further down the sleeping pokemon's body. His mother crept back out the same way she came in, gently clicking the door shut behind her. She made her way back downstairs. When she entered the kitchen, Michael was seated at the table, patiently waiting on her. There was a banner that read, "Happy Birthday!" and a pile of presents in the corner of the room.

"Well?"

"They'll be up soon." She answered.

"Not that! I meant, what did you see?"

"What do you think?"

"Er, well..." Michael was red from the thought. He never really saw what those two did together, and they were both already at that age.

"Don't worry." She assured her husband. "It's obvious they haven't done THAT yet."

"Well, that's good to know..."

"I still remember what he used to be like before she came around..."

**\7 Years ago...\**

There in front of a small house, was an ambulance. Being carried inside was Dragonite on a stretcher. Sitting on the steps of the front porch, was none other than Manuel. He seemed more bored than worried.

_[Ohh, the pain!]_ The hippo/dragon thing moaned. As soon as he was in, two audinos closed the back doors and the ambulance drove off. The boy just sat there, his face still void of any emotion whatsoever. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You can play with my vulpix?" His mother offered in a pointless gesture. She dropped a great ball onto his lap. The boy only sighed and took the ball inside. Once he was in, both parents looked at each other. The father was trying to contain in his laughter.

"Hungry Hungry Hippos, huh? I think we did a good job on this boy. What about you?"

"This isn't funny, Michael! What if he stays like this?" She looked back at the boy. He was sitting on the couch petting this small red fox-like creature on its head. The pokemon didn't seem to like this one bit. It was like being pet by robot. They were both watching TV.

"His birthday's coming up soon. Maybe he just wants his own pokemon?" The mother noticed the channel her son was watching. It was a live performance at the Pokemon Battle League Stadium.

"That's a great idea!" She looked back at her husband. "Maybe you can call up your sister and ask her for one." The father looked up at the sky with a smug look.

"Who needs to call when you can fly?" He pulled out a pokeball from one of his pockets and tossed it into the air. What materialized before the couple was this black dragon with a long neck and horns protruding out the back of its head. It had two large wings that were red underneath.

_"CHARIZARD!"_ The pokemon roared with a fiery breath.

"That's right, bud. You're a charizard." He casually rubbed its head. They flew off into the sky.

**\Back to Present...\**

"And that's how I got Snivy..." Michael ended. A thought occurred to Lexy.

"So what do you think will happen to them out there?"

"He's been hiding this from us for a while, remember? I'm sure no one will even notice those two are a couple."

"I guess... But what if—?"

"Shh! I think I hear them!"

**\\\**

Back upstairs, Manuel was just waking up. His grey eyes opened again. He looked up, meeting Scarlet's gaze. The pokemon face was a deep shade of red, and her eyes pink.

"What?"

_"Um, your hands..."_ He looked over her shoulder. His hands were squeezing butt. It felt firm in his hands. Both hands quickly shied away from her.

"Whoa! S-sorry, I didn't mean t—" Before he could finish, Scarlet closed the gap between them. Their lips met in a reassuring way. His eyes became the same color as hers. When their lips parted, Manuel was confused.

_"It's okay to do that..."_ She looked away as she spoke to him. There was a hint of shyness in her voice. _"I mean... I don't hate it, exactly..."_

"O-oh..." He glanced back at the Xtransceiver, noticing the time. It was 9:12am.

"U-uh, breakfast should be ready!" He blurted out trying to change the subject. Manuel was the first one off, followed by her. As they headed downstairs, they arrived at the living room. The place was...quiet...too quiet... They both looked at each other. Something was obviously going on. His parents should be up by now. Their paces slowed as they approached the kitchen door. Manuel put a hand on the knob and turned it. He was about to open it when Scarlet grabbed him by the hand.

_"It's a trap."_

"What?"

_"It's. A trap."_ Manuel only gave her smile and pushed open the door.

"Ah, you're just being over—" Scarlet immediately jumped behind the couch. Manuel's eyes turned orange as he looked ahead. Two plates of white-frosted cake came flying through the air. He tilted his head left to dodge the first, and rolled right to avoid a second. When he peeked from the door, a third hit him directly in the face, followed by a fourth, knocking him flat on his rear.

"SURPRISE!" Two voices shouted in unison. Scarlet peaked her head out from the couch. Both parents were standing behind the table. They had an arm around each other in a buddy-buddy manner.

"What the hell was that for?!"

"Your birthday, remember?" Michael spoke up. He walked over and helped his son up. Manuel was wiping the frosting from his eyes when he noticed the banner along with a group of presents in a corner behind Lexy.

"Don't tell us you forgot again?!" Lexy was laughing.

"As if." His eyes were dark pink. (Dammit, every time!) He turned his attention to Scarlet.

"I can't believe you just left me in the line of fire like that!"

_"Someone had to take the artillery."_ She joked, her tail wagging happily. Her eyes grew big when she realized something. It was her birthday as well, and there was more slices of cake where that came from. Since Scarlet never actually knew the day she was born, Manuel wanted to share the same day as her. Today, he was fifteen now, meaning she was the same age. The family looked at each other with devilish grin before returning their attention to the young pokemon. Michael handed his son a paper plate with cake. It was her turn now.

"Oh, birthday girl?" ^_^ He called with a sinister tone. She was about to take off when all three threw cake. One missed and spattered on the wall, while two others managed to get her. One hit both her lower back and tail, another one hitting her shoulder.

_"You jerks!"_ Scarlet eyes quickly became the same color as Manuel's. _"Awww, you got it in my fur!"_

"Shouldn't have left me to fend for myself!" Manuel retorted.

_"I'll show you how to fend for yourself!" _She threatened. The pokemon tackled him to the floor.

"Scarlet, wait! No, not the face!" She stuck her hand in one of the plates thrown at her and smeared it all over his face. "Okay, now I'm mad!" Manuel flipped her over wiping the frosting from himself and smearing it back. She gasped in shock. They kept attacking one another with cake. Michael only sighed at this, while Lexy was cracking up.

"They're making a mess of themselves..." Michael had a hand over his face in disappointment.

"Aw, feeling a little left out?" Lexy asked, reached for another plate on the table.

"What're you—?" Before Michael could finish, a cake was squashed against his face. "Dammit, Lexy!" He shouted. Another plate hit him on the back.

"WHO THREW THAT?!" He turns back around and yells at the two. Both had a shocked expression. They immediately pointed at the other. Michael was then hit with another plate of cake. As soon as that happened, the entire kitchen turned into battlefield. Everyone was throwing plates of cake back and forth at each other. When they ran out of plates, they started scooping up what was left and reusing it.

After a rough twenty minutes, the onslaught had finally ended. The aftermath was just terrible! Scarlet and Michael had the worst of it. Michael had a beard of frosting. His grey shirt and blue jeans were painted white. Scarlet was covered from head to toe in cake. It was all over her clothes and deep in her fur. Manuel's messy, dark brown hair was now white with frosting. His shirt was covered, as well as his boxers. Somehow, Lexy had remained unscaved almost the entire time. She only had a little on her pink shirt. Her grey pants were completely untouched. She was only hit once by her son. In the living room, there were only two plates stuck to the couch from the beginning. In the kitchen, six plates were scattered across the floor and cake was everywhere. There were some splotches of white on the walls, and somehow, two more plates were stuck to the ceiling.

"Okay, let's start opening presents before we get cake on those too!" Lexy quickly suggested. A plate randomly fell on her, getting cake in her hair and sticking to the bottom of her shirt. Manuel and Scarlet were both snickering. Michael managed to stay silent.

"Oh, ha-ha. Are you guys happy now?"

_"Yup!"_

"Mm-little bit."

"I think you could use another." With perfect timing, another plate fell. This time landing on her head.

"Moving on!" She grabbed a present from the pile, reading the tag underneath. It took some time with frosting covering most of her vision. She eventually handed it over to Scarlet.

"Uh... Oh! Here ya go, sweetie." It was a big, pink heart-shaped tin. As scarlet lifted the lid her pupils grew huge. Inside was a huge variety of poffins for her to enjoy, mostly sweet and sour ones.

"And another." She pulled out a blue bag filled with more clothes for the pokemon to wear. Scarlet instantly had Lexy in a bear-hug, lifting her off the ground a little. Her tail was wagging in delight. As soon as the mother was back on the ground, she handed her son a present.

"And here's some stuff for you." She grabbed this huge white box and handed it to her son. It was awfully light for something this big. Manuel shook the box, making sure it wasn't some kind of trick. It felt like there were multiple things inside. When he finally opened it, inside was this large, dark green bag meant for hiking, and two other gifts in red wrapping paper

One was flat and square-shaped. The other was more rectangular. He tore the first one open, revealing a black Kalos gen pokedex. Michael was the one to speak.

"I've been holding on to that for a while now. It's from your Aunt Juniper. There's a lot of stuff you can do with this thing. It has a map, and can even tell you where the nearest pokemon center is." He started unwrapping the other. It was a small grey tin. As soon as he opened it, his eyes flashed yellow in surprise. There were a small assortment of lenses, each one a different color. There was blue, green, hazel, and finally, dark brown.

"A lens case..." He looked back at his mother. She only gave a warm smile.

"With that, you can slip through Nacrene City without being too afraid." At this point Manuel, didn't know what to say. He hasn't set one foot in that city since that little incident with the trainer. He didn't know how the people there would react if they saw him again.

"We're not done yet." Lexy interrupted, bringing everyone's attention back on her. She grabbed another present and handed it to Manuel. This one was a small blue box. It felt light. Inside was black trainer belt with six small slots on the side of it. Michael, was the one to speak this time.

"Use that to hold your pokeballs. You can't just protect yourself with one pokemon." The boy quickly caught what he meant. He never did train Scarlet, and she was the only pokemon he has. If she were to suddenly faint, and in the WILD, he wouldn't last long.

"There's still a lot more to go." ^_^ Manuel and Scarlet continued the rest of the morning with the rest of their gifts...

**\After The Party...\**

The two were upstairs. Scarlet was still taking a shower in the bathroom, while Manuel laid in bed staring up at the ceiling. His hair was spiky and still a little damp from the shower he took earlier, and his irises were purple. He had on a different set of clothes now. A crimson red long sleeve, a pair of black cargo pants, and finally, a pair of sneakers. These were his new trainer clothes, and he had a week's worth bought for him.

The party had ended half an hour ago. Manuel received a few more gifts than expected. Some used camping equipment from his father, a trainer ID, and a whopping 15,000 in pokeyen [$150.00]. Scarlet got a black belt, along with the same bag as Manuel, since he couldn't carry everything himself. Tomorrow afternoon, they would leave to see Professor Juniper. There were a lot of things he needed to know about Scarlet and himself.

(Can't say I didn't see this day coming...) There was a knock at the door.

"It's open!" He announced. His mother entered.

"I thought you would be excited about this kind of thing?" She walked over, taking a seat next to his son. "You don't have to leave, you know."

"I know, I know..." Manuel answered sitting back up. "I'm just not sure what we're going to do after we're done with things in Nuvema."

"Oh, that's right! You still have to help your Aunt Juniper with her research." His mother began thinking to herself.

"Well, there's always the Unova league?" She suggested. Manuel only shook his head no. His eyes turned turquoise.

"I don't think that's such a good idea..." She gave her son a worried expression, knowing why.

"Look, she's gonna get hurt, whether you want her to or not!" She slapped her son hard on the back. "And who knows? Maybe you both will have fun!" Lexy had a point. Not all battles are brutal. And he had to take things seriously and start training her, especially with a petty group of thugs like Team Plasma running about. He snapped out of his train of thought when he heard the screech of the shower turning off.

"I'll think of something..." He stared at the door. A smirk grew on Lexy's face. His mother could tell just what he was thinking about. She started whispering in his ear.

"Well, whatever you do, just keep it in your pants, mister."

"I kn— ..." He looked at his mother in disbelief. His eyes turned dark pink, and his face a deep red.

"What? I'm just saying you're at that age." She teased. "Don't pretend like you haven't once thought about—"

"Mom, stop! I don't even...! What I mean is...!" His face was getting redder by the second. "Agh, can we PLEASE not talk about this?".

"Ah, you're no fun, you know that?" She groaned. Lexy stood back up, making her way to the door. "Fine. But at least—"

"No—out!" Manuel closed the door behind her. He let out a sigh of relief and laid back down.

(What is wrong with her?) He thought to himself.

(As if I would do that with...) The voice in his head grew quiet. Suddenly, that feeling in his chest returned. His eyes were slowly turning pink. He actually started to think about it. Admittedly, there were times when he had these somewhat perverted thoughts of Scarlet. After all, he was fifteen. But those are just fantasy, a lustful fantasy.

(It's getting harder to ignore that...) Manuel glanced at the desk where his pokedex was set. Right now, he needed something to distract himself. He went over the desk and sat down. He then started searching up none other than Lucario. A photo of a normal one appeared. His eyes turned purple, as he started to count all the little differences.

* * *

><p><strong>Pokemon ID: 448 Lucario<strong>

**Type: Fight/Steel**

**Average Height: 3'11**

**Average Weight: 119 Lbs.**

**Lucario, the aura pokemon, and the evolved form of Riolu. Lucario has the ability to read and manipulate aura, a special energy that it senses. Lucario can use this energy to communicate in various ways. There have been few lucario that can pick up this ability, and are considered rare. It can read the thoughts and movements of others up to half a mile away.**

* * *

><p>(Lucario's thighs look like baggy shorts... Hers are more slim. But the real shorts she wears around make her look similar... Her spikes are a little more than an inch shorter... The mouth is different, too. Her muzzle is way shorter... And then lucario are supposed to be flat chested...) As he thought about this, that same image appeared in his head. He started to remember seeing them first time after Scarlet evolved. His eyes became pink again. He looked up at the ceiling.<p>

(It's not like I haven't thought of it before...)

(But what if...) Just then, what Scarlet said before started to echo in his head, the exact way she said.

_"It's okay to do that... I mean... I don't hate it, exactly..."_ That feeling in his chest wasn't getting any better. With every thought, it just seemed to get worse.

(Would she really be okay with me...doing this?) Part of him already understood what she meant, but another was in denial. Scarlet was hinting to go further.

When Manuel finished reading, the bathroom door opened. Scarlet came out with a new outfit. She had a plain cream shirt that fit tightly around her feminine figure as well as a pair of blue cargo shorts. Manuel's eyes went from purple to red when he looked up at her.

"How about we go outside and play?" He asked. It was something that could help take his mind off things for a while. Scarlet's eyes were bright red.

_"Can we?"_ She asked excitedly.

"Yeah. It's our last day before we leave, so we might as well have some fun." With that, they both left outside. As he was closing the front door behind him, Scarlet was the first to ask.

_"So what should we play first?"_

"Hm... We can play Chase? ...Nah..."

_"Why, scared to lose?"_ Manuel's pupils shrank.

"Hah hah—WHAT?"

_"Oh, it's nothing, really. Just that pokemon are faster, stronger, and better at everything."_

"...Okay...sure..." He went over to the edge of the cliff and got into runner's position. "You only get ten seconds." The young pokemon did the same.

"Ready?"

_"Mm-hm."_

"Alright then. One..." Scarlet immediately jumped off, doing a little flip in the air for fun.

"Two... Three... Four..." At the base of the cliff was a clearing that was all too familiar to Scarlet. It was the very place that trainer attacked her. She took off running to the nearest tree.

"Five... Six... Seven..." Scarlet jumped into the tree and landed on one of the lower branches and started leaping from tree to tree.

"Eight... Nine... Ten!" Manuel was the next to jump. As soon as his toes touched the ground, he threw himself into a roll. He ran up to the same tree, grabbing onto the lowest branch and swinging himself to the top of another. His eyes turned orange. He then took off after her. Scarlet looked back, noticing he was already right behind her.

_"You'll have to do better than that if you wanna catch me!" _The young pokemon playfully called out to the one lagging behind.

"Easy for you to say!"

_"A hatchling could run faster than you!" _She teased. As Scarlet grew further and further away, her voice became a faint echo.

"Huff...huff... Yeah?!" He asked back in a sarcastic tone. It took a moment for her voice to sound back.

_"...Yeah!"_

"You asked for it!" Manuel warned. His body leaned further out, giving him a burst of speed. He started leaping off each branch with even more force. Slowly, he was catching up. After what had to be a minute, he was at least ten feet away from her.

"How about...huff...now?!" Manuel called out with a shaky breath, getting Scarlet to look back. She was always curious about this side of Manuel. Everything about him changed when he became active, even his aura. It would grow larger, and spin around him violently; almost like a fire lit inside him. Her eyes flashed orange. Scarlet wanted to see just how far she can push him. She decided to go even faster, throwing her arms back. She leaned forward. The distance between them became even greater.

"Huff... N-no fair!" He could feel his heart pounding from all this. His mind was literally screaming to go even faster. At this point, he was more than happy to oblige. His legs moved not only faster, but harder. Each branch swayed with every jump. After another long minute, Manuel was right behind her. He reached out for the pokemon, inching even closer every few seconds. When she was finally within reach, he tackled her. But this was all a trick. She faded away and he fell into a pile of crispy leaves, scattering them into the autumn air **(Double Team)**.

"You sneaky little...!" He tried to calm down. Scarlet was just testing him again. Her multiple giggles echoed throughout the forest. It sounded like there were five of her. Closing his eyes, he began to see colors. The grass, the trees around him, and even a few pokemon could be seen.

(This again?) He looked at his own two hands. There was an orange fire-like material burning around him. He tried to shake it off, but to no avail. Lately, he dreamt of the same experience; only now, he was awake for it. He could feel the little vibrations in the leaves, and the movement of the forest pokemon going about their business. For a brief moment, a bright orange color was to his left. It just faded out of sight. Judging by the figure, it had to be Scarlet. She was already leaving him behind. He swung himself onto a tree and followed after her.

(This is something, alright...but it just feels real...) He could still sense everything around him, even if was all just a blurry haze. Things were only visible for a good twenty yards or so. This new found sight was something he could rely on. Eventually, that same orange-colored figure returned. His eyes darted open.

"Found you!" Scarlet turned around. She was leaping backwards.

_"Already?" _She expected him to be busy for at the most ten minutes. She tried to play it off. _"...You sure this time? You_'_re not gonna cry when I disappear?"_ Instead of using his new ability, Manuel only had to look at her eyes. Those orange colored eyes belonged to someone. They couldn't be faked so easily. His eyes quickly turned bright red, knowing he won.

"Definitely!" He tackled her again, landing into another thick pile of leaves. He looked back at Scarlet's eyes, their faces just inches away from each other.

"...Gotcha!"

_"Huff... That's right..." _Scarlet was now grinning. Her eyes turned pink. She flipped him over and pinned down his hands, preventing him from getting up just yet. _"Ya got me..."_

Manuel's eyes quickly turned the same color, and his face became a light shade of red. It was obvious where this was headed. Her face drew closer and closer, until finally, their lips met. As they kissed passionately, he closed his eyes, and his fingers laced with hers. He loved the way her soft pokemon lips would feel against his own. Her rough tongue would fight for dominance with his. Eventually, their lips parted for air, bringing the two back to their senses.

"I'm guessing that was my prize?" He earned a giggle.

_"Well then you guessed ri—whoa!" _Immediately, Manuel rolled to the side. Now Scarlet was the one pinned. He got off and pulled her up.

"How about we keep playing? I kind of wanna see how many 'prizes' I can win by the end of the day." Scarlet started to blush.

**\Far Later...\**

Time began to pass. The young couple ended up playing the past the entire evening, both just enjoying the others company. The sun was already setting. Scarlet once again had to carry him. They were walking along the trail leading to the mountains.

_"The score's 15 to 20... Not bad for a human..."_

"...You're joking... Any regular person would've passed out way earlier..."

_"You're not any regular person..." _She bluntly reminded. If it were racing a pokemon, he can keep up, though with some difficulty. Then when it comes to tricks like Double Team, he catches on quickly. These weren't just regular feats.

_"But I guess having me around helps..."_ Manuel frowned when he realized something. These were all just games. He never once trained her to fight, or even suggested the thought.

"Hey...there's something you have to know...and you might not like it..."

_"Like what?"_

"When we do go out for the first time...there might come occasions we have to battle..." Scarlet remained silent for a while. She stopped walking.

_"...I already know..."_ He was confused. _"I was reading your minds when I was in the shower..."_

"...Are you mad?"

_"No! How can I be!"_ She assured. A group of trainers passed by. Though there was no need to, Scarlet spoke a little softer. _"Besides, we don't want anyone finding out about us..."_

"...It might be safer to catch other pokemon as well... Then there's the Unova League..."

_"...But you're sure you know what you're doing?" _Her voice became shaky. She was trembling ever so slightly. Though the young pokemon was trying her best to hide it, she was actually afraid of this. After tomorrow, everything was going to change. No longer were they going to be safe behind the privacy their own home, or hide amongst the trees just to kiss where no one could judge.

"Of course I do! I know what pokemon are, and I never forced you to do anything... If we challenge the League, we can use that as an excuse to travel..."

_"You're forgetting that not all pokemon won't be okay with this either... Some might have us killed if they find out..." _It took a moment for that to register. He could understand why she was so afraid.

"...If something like that ever comes, then we'll just have to be ready..." They arrived at the mountain trail up. "I think you can put me down now. I can walk from here..." Scarlet let him down. Though with some difficulty, Manuel stood back up in his own. They continued to walk home...

**\Manuel's Room...\**

It was now the middle of the night. The light from the moon illuminated the quiet room. Scarlet was in bed, resting her eyes, while Manuel couldn't sit still for the life of him. He ended up doing some last minute packing and going through their bags to see if everything was in order.

(Let's see... Gear? Check. Tent and sleeping bags? Check. Clothes? Check. Food and water? Check. I know I'm missing something...) Manuel started to scratch the back of his head in wonder. He stopped when he saw the dresser.

(Of course...) He opened the top drawer to his dresser. Inside was a small, black deposit box that was locked. Manuel only smiled. Inside was something dear to him. He pulled a key out from under his shirt.

(A promise is a promise...) He started remembering all the things they did together over the years. How many games they played, how many times they kissed, how many times he got to wake up the sight of her beautiful sleeping face. The boy felt happy around her. She was not only his pokemon but the one he loved, and no one was going to take that away from him. He began to wonder just how many people loved their pokemon this way. Although it was illegal here in Unova, there were still people who didn't mind this sort of relationship. In Sinnoh, some go as far as marriage. Eventually, he shrugged the notion off.

Manuel finished packing the last of his belongings. He went over to his side of the bed and laid down. Scarlet turned around. She was still awake, now staring into his. Her irises were pink.

_"...Manuel?"_

"Yeah?"

_"I know a little more than just than the conversation..."_ His face became red, knowing what she meant. Scarlet was reading his mind during AND after his talk with Lexy. His most perverted thoughts were no secret.

"Um, that, well..."

_"You don't want to do those things with me?" _

"I-I..." She picked up his hand and held it to her breast. He could feel her heart beating. It put him at ease. Their eyes now matched. "I do..." Scarlet's face became the same shade as his. She looked away when she spoke.

_"Well, I-I might want you do some of those things, to_o..._"_

"Are you sure about this...?" Scarlet nodded.

_"I wouldn't be laying in the same bed if I wasn't..." _She let go of his hand, allowing him to do as he pleased. Manuel, though still hesitant_,_ lightly caressed her chest. They were softer than he imagined, but still more firm. He started massaging them. When he squeezed with a little more force, Scarlet let out soft cry. He stopped immediately.

"Did that hurt...?"

_"N-no...it just...felt good..."_ She gestured for him to continue. This was the first time he's done anything like this, and part of him was afraid to overstep a boundary. Eventually he resumed his normal pace. Scarlet's breath became slightly faster. Her soft cries encouraged him to do more. But what? Between him and Scarlet was merely a thin piece of fabric. When she actually began to moan, that was when he stopped. She seemed disappointed by this.

"I just... You think you could...take your shirt off...for me?" Scarlet only gave back a smile. She did asked, sitting up and removing her plain white shirt. Beneath was a black sports bra. It was made to keep her breast compressed and not bouncing around when active. In all this time she was with him, he never realized she wore one.

"Where did you...?"

_"Lexy told me I have to wear one of these things..." _He noticed the way it was designed. There was just a button above her chest spike, connecting the front. It seemed made specifically for her. Just two straps and a single button were in the way of what he desired. He undid them himself, his hands fumbling the whole time. The bra fell to the bed, revealing her breasts. Her figure became more apparent in the moonlight, the color of her creamy fur complimented her blue skin. She was a modest B-cup, almost grown to a C. Though she still wore her pale blue briefs, they didn't leave much to the imagination.

_"Don't make me be the only one undressed..."_ She pleaded in embarrassment. Manuel took off his shirt and key necklace, as well as his pants. He was as undressed as her, wearing only a pair of red boxers. His hands were guided back to her breasts. Her short fur felt softer and better than real skin ever could. They laid back on the bed, continuing to massage them. Before he knew it, she was moaning again. Her hands already left his. When his thumb rubbed over the nipple, her entire body shuddered. Just to keep herself quiet, Scarlet bit down on her finger. His parents were in a room down the hall. It would be wise not to wake them.

His lips found their way around one. His tongue danced around only the teat while his hand fondled with the other. With every subtle sound that escaped her lips, he found himself wanting to hear more. Her voice was his guide.

_"...Manuel, I-I..."_ Her eyes began to glow. Scarlet's breathing became heavier, as if trying to get control herself. But Manuel wouldn't let her. He gently a planted a kiss against the side of her neck. Scarlet's scream was muffled by a pair of lips. Her tail coiled around his waist, not wanting him to break away. And her hips spasmed uncontrollably against him. After whatever clouded bliss left her head, they returned to their senses.

"...What was that?"

_"...I-I'm not...sure... I never felt anything like that..." _He could feel the wet stain, left behind by Scarlet.

"Scarlet, did you...cum?"

_"It just felt really great..." _Manuel sat up and glanced over at his Xtransceiver. It was already 1:36am. Today is the day they would both leave.

"...I think we better stop here... We leave in six hours..." Instead, Scarlet pulled him closer for a passionate kiss. Her arms wrapped around his back so he couldn't do anything. When their lips parted he was left with a question.

_"...Just a little more?"_

"You know I want to... But we have to stop now, if we're gonna leave early..." He could tell Scarlet was upset by this. He laid on his back, exhausted. Scarlet rested her head next to his, cuddling closer.

_"Goodnight...I love you..."_

"I love you, too..." Her eyelids closed. She was already drifting to sleep. "I'll always love you..." Manuel's eyelids grew heavy. He fell asleep alongside her...

**Once again, I am **_**SO, SO, SO**_ **sorry for the long wait! You have been patient for a long time, and I have finally gotten back into the swing of things. Drop a review because this is my first attempt at a lemon, and a rather small one at that. I know there was a lot of "Fast Forwarding" in this Chapter... I also want to thank all of those who still followed this story while I was gone. Things might get problematic, 'cause of college started this Monday and I have only ONE DAY OFF, but things sure as hell aren't going to end here! Follow me on Twitter for news and updates! I will be posting a lot more often than usual. Thank you, and goodnight!**

**Grey: Nothing, emotionally cut off, tired, still waking up**

**Bright Red: Happy, playful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged, determined, impatient,**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, sadness, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love, lust**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, self conscious, scared of rejection, doubt, uncomfortable**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant, way relaxed**

**Purple: Mentally active, heavy thought, confused**


	8. Chapter 6: Nacrene City

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter! I'm still working hard with classes, and trying to work this in between. Remember this important note to avoid confusion:**

_**[Pokemon that can**_**'**_**t be understood.]**_

_**"Pokemon Manuel can understand."**_

**"Human."**

**Chapter 6: Nacrene City**

**\Earlier at Home...\**

Everyone was on the porch. Lexy was weeping, while Michael was trying to hide tears of his own. Manuel and Scarlet were all packed and ready to leave. Both wore the hoodies they grew to love. A red one for Manuel, and blue for Scarlet.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much!" She wraps her son in a bear hug. "And don't forget: be careful with other trainers. Some can be dangerous."

"I will." She drops her son. Lexy shifts her attention to Manuel's companion.

"Aw, I'm going to miss you, too!" The same thing is done to Scarlet. Scarlet blushed.

"You're apart of this family as well, you hear? If something ever happens, you'll always have a home to return to..." That earned a sniffle. Her eyes were becoming watery as well. Despite Lexy's hazing the first month, she really did bond with her. The two women stayed there for a moment. Michael was scratching his head.

"I'm no good at goodbyes..." Both father and son were mumbling. What was supposed to be a simple handshake became an awkward hug.

"I'll be sure to visit..."

"...Just...don't get yourself hurt out there..." After that, Manuel realized something. "Where's Snivy? I thought he was out of his Ball?" Everybody started looking around their feet. The grass snake was nowhere to be found.

"Strange, I thought he took a liking to you? The least he could do is say goodbye." Manuel tried to shrug it off. It hurt, but not as much as you'd expect.

"—Er, it's fine. Just tell the little guy I said 'bye' for me." With everything out of the way, Manuel turned around. The sun was shining brilliantly. An excellent way to start their journey. They took a few paces out from the porch before turning around. The two young ones waved.

"I'll miss you guys!" Manuel waved. His parents waved back. This image was forever going to be burned in his head... The day he left home smiling... Manuel and Scarlet started walking the path, The two were out of sight, so the parents were heading back inside, completely ignorant of the soft pitter patter of feet.

_[Wait! Wait for me!]_ The pokemon came running with his own Poké Ball in hand. He used his vines to toss the Poké Ball in the side pocket of Scarlet's bag. The button was pressed on its own, and he was pulled inside.

**\Later: The Falls...\**

Manuel has already said his goodbyes to his parents, Michael and Lexy, but he wasn't done just yet. There was still one more person. He also wanted to thank him for all his help over the years. The peaceful sound of the water coming down helped clear his mind. He sat by the edge, closed his eyes and waited patiently. It soon became silent. The waterfall stopped making sound. A deep fog came in, but felt inviting to the young man. He opened his purple eyes to see an Alakazam waiting for him.

_"How the time flies..."_ Sid mumbled.

"I know... I honestly forgot there was an entire world out there."

_"It can be easy to forget things..."_ Sid offered him a spoon again. _"But that just means you are able learn more. Now...show me what you have learned..."_ Manuel accepted the spoon and placed it on the ground. When he blinks, his purple eyes begin to glow. The spoon floated, unsure whether to tilt left or right. Manuel's hair was being lifted by a gentle breeze. The spoon stopped. The bottom end twisted, wrapping itself around the base. After a few moments of struggling, the spoon was tied in knot. His mind gave out and the spoon fell on the water. He picked it up.

_"Not quite the same as Michael, but still a pass." _Manuel's eyes became bright red.

"It's all thanks to you I know to use this..." When Manuel handed him the spoon, Sid refused.

_"Consider it a parting gift. I'm afraid I am not very good with goodbyes." _The fog was suddenly becoming thicker. Sid was trying to end things early.

"Than I'll say it. Goodbye...and thank you for everything..." There, on Sid's face, was the faintest of smiles. The last thing he could see before it became completely white.

_"Hmph... Farewell, friend..."_ The fog soon left and Manuel was sitting in the same position he was originally in. He found the spoon in his pocket, now untied. It was thanks to Sid that Manuel discovered the certain feelings he didn't understand. But he wasn't just a convenient therapist, but also a mentor. Because of Sid, Manuel took his first steps into some of his unique abilities. Unlike Michael, Manuel had psychic abilities naturally, but it was never realized until he met Scarlet. It was going to be tough without Sid there to explain everything, but he wasn't doing things alone. Manuel turned around. Scarlet was patiently waiting for him.

"I'm ready. Let's go." They began walking back out the way they came.

_"Did he have anything to say?"_ She asked curiously.

"Normally he has some kind of advice, but not today."

_"I really wish I could meet him..."_

"It's fine, you know. He isn't very social of a guy."

_"But to speak to an Alakazam is like being granted the knowledge of the world!"_ She spun around to emphasize her point.

"I doubt a pokemon could know that much. ...But he does seem to know a lot." Manuel pulled out his lens case and started putting them on as they walked. He decided to use brown because it was the same color as his mother's. They would be heading to Nacrene City, so it would be best to disguise himself while he still could. Though he did change a lot over the years, his eyes were a dead giveaway. After that was done, Manuel started fidgeting with the Pokédex, checking what there really was in Nacrene city.

"I haven't been able to explore much on my own. I know where the Pokémon Center and Poké Mart are, but that's about it..." The Pokédex said there was a café, a museum, and a gym, but nothing else. He decided to check out the Café later. Since a gym battle was out of the question there was one spot to check first.

"A museum... Totally a cool first memory..." He sarcastically remarked. Scarlet started peeking over his shoulder.

_"What's a museum?"_ Manuel gave this bored expression.

"Well, it's a place where you can see prehistoric pokemon. People occasionally go there to learn about the past or see how pokemon used to look like." Scarlet's eyes immediately lit up.

_"I wanna go there! Can we?"_

"Wait, really?" She kept that same excited look. "Well, to each his own, I guess..." Along the way trainers kept eyeing them. No matter how old they get, trainers always shift their attention to Scarlet. Manuel could already tell this was going to be a long journey...

**\Nacrene City...\**

The two finally arrived in town. To the left was a building with a sign over it—'Café Warehouse.' Though the place didn't seem busy, the sound of a nearby street performer playing the accordion kept the place lively. It was probably too early to open.

"We should book a room in the Pokémon Center first." It only took a few moments of wandering to find it. A white four story building with a large, red roof. This was easily the most recognizable of all buildings. The Pokémon Center acted as a hospital to both humans and pokemon, and acted as a free hotel to pokemon league competitors. As they walked in, the two were greeted by a nurse.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokémon Center. How may I help you?"

"Y-yeah, I'm looking to book a room?"

"Oh! Well, I just need your Trainer ID and to know if you are competing in the Unova League."

"I-uh, just started. How do I sign up?" The nurse kept her friendly demeanor.

"I can help you out with that as well. I only need your ID and your Pokéball(s)." Manuel did as instructed, handing his card and Scarlet's Ball. She started punching stuff into the computer. There was a loud buzz.

"Um, excuse me, but might this be the only pokemon you have?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

"I forgot that to even register for the Unova League, you must have a minimum of two pokemon."

"Why?!" He started panicking.

"I'm sorry. This was changed just recently. You can still purchase a room for 2,500 pokeyen[$25]?" Manuel sighed, but had no choice. He paid in full. They were handed a key, and the two eventually found their room.

"...205? Huh. I thought this would be much harder..."

_"Well, come on! Open it!"_ Scarlet excitedly bounced.

"I will. Just give me a sec..." With a turn of the key, he pushed it open. Inside was a large red bed, a small flat screen TV above a set of drawers, a mini fridge, and a bathroom.

_"Wow...!" _She immediately flopped on the bed and dropped her bag beside her.

"This looks nicer than home..." Manuel's first instinct was to look out the glass door. Each room has a balcony. They had a nice view of the Museum entrance and the Café. He checked the fridge. There were free bottles of water. "How these people make a profit, I will never understand..." There was a loud pop, and a flash of red light. Snivy appeared.

_[Ah, the sweet feel of luxury...] _He started rolling around the bed. _[How I missed this!] _Manuel and Scarlet went quiet, completely frozen.

O_O

O_O

_[What?]_

"...This is really happening? ...You followed us?"

_"Where did you...?"_

_[Oh. I hid inside your bag.]_

_"You what?!" _Scarlet started rummaging through her bag. She found his Poké Ball.

"Snivy, did you follow us?" Manuel asked curiously. He didn't understand any pokemon other than Scarlet, but a simple nod sufficed. "WHY?!"

_[Have you seen the room service menu to these places? They are worth it.]_ The pokemon waddled over to the bottom drawer and pulled out a menu, handing it to Manuel.

"Forget food! Mom and Dad are gonna freak when—!" He stopped himself. "On second thought..."

**\\\**

"You're sure he'll be fine?" Michael asked through the Xtransceiver.

"Yeah. I mean, I've taken care of him before, so it's nothing new." Snivy perched himself on top of Scarlet's shoulder.

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything!" Manuel waved to his father.

"I will. Bye!" Manuel hung up. He just finished making another lap to the lobby to sign up for the Unova League and get a full refund on their room. He then explained his predicament to his father. Technically, Snivy was his first pokemon, but Manuel never had an interest back then, so Michael kept him. Now it seems Manuel will be borrowing him. "Okay, since Snivy is officially our new captive—"

_[Wait, what?] _His pupils shrank. The grass snake watched as his Poké Ball was attached to the side of Manuel's belt. His fate was sealed.

"—Our rooms are now free. So let's do some sightseeing!" Manuel and Scarlet both cheered. They left the pokémon center and made their stroll down to to the Nacrene Museum. At the entrance, there were two pokemon statues.

_"This can't be right. It says 'Gym'." _Manuel sighed.

"No, it is. The Gym is just behind the Museum." They entered. After paying the entrance toll, they were free to look inside. There were skeletal remains of old pokemon. There was an Omastar and Kabutops on display; pokemon that were not indigenous to this region. They captivated Scarlet the most. Snivy was looking at the colorful stones on display. And Manuel was bored out of his mind, trying to at least look like he wanted to be there. It was really nothing interesting. After wandering for a couple of hours, the group was ready to leave.

"My stomach is growling. Is anyone else hungry?"

_"Actually, do we have any food packed?"_

"I packed us three day's worth of food, but I want to see the Café they got here." Snivy's stomach growled. The little creature tried to act like it was not him, but Manuel saw through.

"Looks like someone agrees."

_[I haven't had breakfast.]_ They left and made their way to the Café Warehouse down the street. A pleasant scent welcomes the group inside. There was this warm atmosphere filled with laughter and conversation from other Trainers.

_[I smell cookies...]_

"You two grab a table. I'll order something." He smiled like a kid in a candy store. (I always wanted to try some coffee...) He waited in line. Scarlet and Snivy decided to eat outside. They found a table by the window, where Manuel could notice them.

_[Trust me. The food here is amazing! You'll love it.] _Snivy was just trying to start a conversation, but Scarlet had this disappointed look on her face.

_"..." _She stayed silent.

_[What?]_

_"Why did you follow us?"_

_[Is this what this is about?]_

_"..." _Snivy sighed. His casual ***give-no-fucks***expression became more depressing.

_[...I just wanna see Mama again...]_

_"Mama...?"_

_[Mama Juniper. She raised me when I was just a hatchling...]_

_"I always thought you came from the wild?" _The snake shook his head no in response.

_[I was abandoned because I was the weakest. It's how things work in the wild. Then Mama found me, and brought me back to her lab.]_

_"Could've fooled me. I remember you helped beat Drapion and Ariados in the cave."_

_[That was because my master trained me to become stronger. He made battling fun, so I wanted to try harder for him.] _Hearing his whole story made Scarlet feel bad for not wanting him here. Her eyes were turquoise.

_"I never knew. I'm sorry..."_

_[Don't worry 'bout it. Seriously!] _Snivy assured. _[I just can't wait to see the look on Mama's face when she sees how much stronger I've become.]_ Snivy then noticed something.

_[I've been rambling on about me. But why are YOU coming along with him. I thought you hated battling?]_

_"Well..." _Scarlet quickly glanced through the window. Manuel was next up to order. Snivy caught on.

_[If you want to stay 'together' with him, you're gonna have to battle. It'll help to avoid suspicion.]_

_"I know... but it still scares me..." _Snivy became serious.

_[Battling is inevitable in this world. Either you fight in the wild, or you fight in an official one, with rules to protect you.]_

_"You're probably right..." _That worried look of hers soon became one of curiousity. Scarlet's eyes became dark pink. _"Wait. How do you know about us?"_

_[Oh yeah. Have you ever wondered why the sock drawer is open at night?]_

_O_O_

_[That would be me. I like to sometimes make a nest out of the socks he isn't using.] _Right when Scarlet hid her face using the table, Manuel came back. Her screams were muffled by the hardwood table.

"Whoa! What did I miss?" Manuel came out with a bag in one arm, and cups of coffee and tea in the other.

_"Snivy knows the whole thing! Not even one day out of the house, and we're busted!"_ She murmured from the table. Manuel's face became red. He slowly pulled a white bag out from the original one.

"...I don't suppose a giant cookie would keep you quiet now, would it?"

_[It shall suffice.]_ The grass snake nodded in approval. He snatched the cookie away, using a vine.

"A muffin and some raspberry tea for M'lady," He served Scarlet next. "And coffee for me." He placed the steaming cup in the middle and pulled up a chair from an unoccupied table.

"I see my dad drink this stuff all the time, but he refuses to let me try some!" He took a big gulp, before spilling some of it out to the floor. "OwowowOW, the burnt! Why would anyone drink this?!"

"Um, you're supposed to wait before drinking it." Someone answered him. They turned around. A male with a white shirt and light brown pants was there. He also wore a green apron and green bandana tied around his head. Beside him was a Lucario.

"Hi! I'm Marcus." He offered to shake.

"Uh, Manuel..." He shook his hand. Scarlet and the Lucario were exchanging glances.

_"Is that...?"_

_"Riolu? Is that you?"_

_"Oh! It's only been a few years, and you're so much bigger than me!" _They started hugging. Manuel was thrown in a loop.

(I can understand her...) He tried to shrug it off.

"What's up, Lucario? Do you know her?"

_"She was my cellmate. Her friends busted me out!"_ She pointed to Manuel and Snivy, as if her Trainer could understand her.

"Were you the guys who found her?"

"I, uh, yeah. I guess we are." He shook Manuel's hand more excitedly.

"You have no idea how thankful I am! She was taken from me by this crazy robo-chic. I thought I would never see her again!"

"N-no problem. My pokemon was in trouble as well." While the two Lucario were both conversing, Marcus got a better look at Scarlet.

"Is that another Lucario? I've never seen one like it before... And she's wearing clothes!"

"Yeah. She's a special case."

"I'll say!" Marcus was paying attention to his Lucario. The two were so happy to see each other. "Hey... I just met you and all, but how 'bout a battle?" Scarlet paused.

_"...What?"_

"Yeah! I wanna see the difference in our pokemon's strength."

_"A battle sounds great! I wanna see just how strong you've gotten!" _Lucario became eager.

"Whoa, hold up! We haven't even finished our—."

_[Done!] _Snivy interrupted. The cookie was devoured whole. _[Don't I get a say in this?] _He jumped on the table and stole the conversation. The pokemon waddled over to the Lucario.

_[I'll take you on! You and me!]_

_"Wow, so much vigor in this little guy."_

_"Snivy, are you sure?" _Her eyes became yellow.

_[Of course I am.]_

_"But Manuel doesn't know any of your moves!" _Snivy's pupils shrank.

_"Alright, I accept. But only if I get to battle you after." _Manuel and Marcus were trying to understand the whole conversation.

"Sooo... Is the little guy gonna fight, or what's going on?"

"I think so. But she will only fight him if Scarlet fights, too."

"Ohh... So what do ya say?" Manuel checked his coffee. It still hasn't cooled.

**\\\**

They were at the entrance to town, so no bystanders will get hurt. Scarlet was behind Manuel. He was using the Pokédex on Snivy.

* * *

><p><strong>Snivy's Moves: Leaf Blade, Vine Whip, Quick Attack, Tackle, Twister, and Iron Tail.<strong>

* * *

><p><em>"I can't believe you agreed so easily..."<em>

"I can't believe I'm doing this either. But I suppose it's now or never." Snivy turned to Lucario, eager to battle. She patiently waited by her master's side.

"This will be a 1v1. Since you only have two pokemon, I will use two as well." Marcus pulled out his first pokemon.

"Go! Servine!" He tossed a Great Ball. A slightly taller version of Snivy appeared. There was a distinct difference between the two. Its tail was longer, its green scales were slightly darker in color, and its eyes were brighter shade of red. Instead of a blank expression like Snivy, this one carried a smug attitude.

"Snivy, go ahead." He gladly stepped forward. There was a brief moment of silence as the two pokemon stared down the other.

"Servine—Energy Ball!" It charged a green orb from its mouth. The opponent fired.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" Manuel ordered back. The pokemon leaned forward and pounced ahead. A streak of light chased him. The green orb missed Snivy's head.

"Leaf Blade!" Servine's tail glowed green. He easily cancelled Snivy's attack with one swipe. With another, Snivy was slammed into the dirt. He bounced hard.

"Are you okay...?" Manuel was about to step in.

"What are you doing?!" Marcus asked.

"T-that looked like it hurt..."

"There's no time-out in a battle, dude! We wait for him to get up. If he doesn't, THEN you can call him back." Servine patiently waited. Snivy stood up.

_[You can really hit. What a tail...] _He nodded back at Manuel with a serious look. He was ready. _[I just got careless...] _The pokemon stepped back, making some space.

"Leaf Blade, again!" The Servine went on the offensive. He leaped ahead, tail already glowing.

"Use Leaf Blade as well!" Snivy did the same. The two tails clashed, but the force sent Snivy sliding on his heels. He was the weaker one in this. Scarlet just watched in awe. She never knew he was that durable. And even though he was hurt, Snivy still looked he was enjoying himself.

"Use Vine Whip!" Servine grew two long vines. The first slammed down. The second one was swept across the ground to try and trip Snivy. He jumped over.

"Twister!" Snivy waved its tail around like a fan, kicking up a powerful gust of wind and some stray leaves. Servine took the hit. Scarlet was still watching. She would be lying if she wasn't curious on how Snivy could keep up. He took an Energy Ball to the face. It exploded. Snivy quickly recovered. It just kept going on. It looked like Snivy was fighting a losing battle...but he was still smiling...

"Servine, what's wrong?"

_[A little tired...] _The pokemon answered. _[Probably just the humidity...] _Servine was panting, now looking more serious.

_[Sure, the humidity, in Fall. Meanwhile, I'm just warming up!]_ Snivy acted on his own. His tail turned a metallic grey. The light reflected off the newly polished surface **(Iron Tail)**. He pounced ahead, surprising both Trainers.

"Servine—get out of there!" Servine kept stepping back, using his tail to protect himself from every hit. Manuel quickly gathered his thoughts.

"D...Don't let up! You're almost there!" Every time Snivy would swing his tail, he'd jump up to get a better hit. Servine was never instructed to use a move; its tail was getting bruised. Eventually, Snivy broke his guard, hitting it directly across the face. His back continued to slide against the dirt, until he was at his master's feet. The pokemon was knocked out.

"You did well, friend... Go ahead and rest..." The pokemon was enveloped in light. Marcus nodded to his Lucario, letting her step on to the field.

"I never seen a Snivy move like that," Marcus commented.

"To be honest, this was my dad's. He was the real one who trained him."

"Be that as it may, hat's off to you, man." He removed his bandana, letting his black breath. "You ready, Lucario?" The pokemon planted one foot ahead, taking a ready stance.

_"Ready!"_ Snivy prepared himself. There was a brief moment of silence.

"—Bullet Punch!"

"—Quick Attack!" They called at the same time. Just as Snivy could take off, Lucario was already in front of him. For the two, time slowed down for a brief moment. She had this excited smile, while Snivy was in complete shock. He was knocked back into a tree, kicking dirt into the air. Scarlet and Manuel were silent. Her eyes were yellow. The two were still trying to take in what just happened.

"Go on, count it!" Marcus hollered.

"O-oh, right." Manuel began. "One! ...Two! ...Th—!" Snivy pounced out from the dirt cloud, Tackling Lucario by surprise. She rolled on top of him.

"—Leaf Blade! Quick!"

"—Force Palm!" Snivy's tail glowed green. Lucario released his hand, and pinned his tail instead. With her free hand, she pressed it against Snivy. There was a small explosion. Snivy didn't move... Lucario gave him some space.

"Aw, man. Get up!" Manuel was already running. Lucario halted him. "What are you doing?! Let me check on him!"

"...You're new to this, aren't you?" Marcus asked.

"What difference does it make? Outta my way!" He shoved Lucario out of the way, actually surprising her. "Come on...still with me?" Snivy tried to pick up his head.

_[Aw, man. Wasn't expecting to go down so easy...!] _The pokemon smiled. He rolled himself on his stomach and got up. _[You win. I'm not strong enough to beat you.] _He was looking at Manuel, now with a more casual expression.

_[Did I do something?]_

"There's no way! You're still moving?"

"Pokemon are a lot more durable than you think," Marcus assured. "Even that should be common knowledge. Where have you been livin', under a rock?"

"I..." Manuel couldn't really explain his actions. He just acted without thinking.

"Look. It's fine. I can tell this is your first time battling, so I'm not gonna even complain. I live in an apartment over at Castelia City. Get some experience, and we can battle another time. Sound good?"

"I...Y-yeah. Sounds good. Thank you." Manuel answered. Marcus was a lot nicer than he expected. He was just battling for fun.

"No problem. Just try not to be so reckless. If this were a real battle, you could've easily gotten yourself killed."

"Right. Gotcha." Instead of having to pay for losing, Marcus handed Manuel a number for his Xtransceiver.

"C'mon Lucario! We still have to get home before nightfall."

_"It's too bad you and I didn't get to battle. But there's always next time!"_ Lucario offered. _"You be careful out there!"_ She waved to Scarlet. Manuel was carrying Snivy.

_[I can't believe I lost...! I still need more training...] _

_"Where did you learn to fight like that?"_ Scarlet was even more surprised.

_[Master would occasionally put me up against a pokemon he knew I couldn't win. This way I could learn endurance.]_

_"I didn't think your father was that good..."_

"My dad? He's beaten the Unova League at least three times, and made 2nd in the Sinnoh League. It's only natural Snivy learned some tricks." He checked on his coffee, resting by Scarlet. The steam had already settled. He picked it up with his free hand.

"I think we had enough excitement for one day. Let's take care of Snivy, and hang out back in our room." They started making their way back to rest...

**\Later...\**

Manuel and Snivy were both red. Scarlet had a mischievous grin. Both had dark pink eyes.

"And I only have to do this once?"

_"Just once!" _Scarlet assured.

_[I don't know about this.]_ Snivy held his arm shyly. _[There really isn't another way?] _

_"All Manuel has to do is a quick peck. The desire to understand you is already strong enough."_ Manuel groaned.

"We do this, get it over with, never happened. Got it?"

_[Deal.] _Snivy shook Manuel's finger in a gentlemen's agreement. Manuel picked up the grass snake. In an instant, they kissed, refusing eye contact for even second. When it was over, Snivy spat on the floor, while Manuel simply wiped his lips. Scarlet was laughing.

"Please tell me it worked."

_"_—_Ugh, your lips taste so bitter! How can any human drink that stuff?!"_ Manuel looked at the empty coffee cup on the desk.

"Yeah... I'ma go brush the taste of lizard breath off..."

_"~Have fun~!"_ Scarlet teased.

"~I won't~!" He mimicked. Manuel got up and used the restroom, leaving the two pokemon to carry out a conversation.

_"I'm done? No more?"_

_"That's it. Manuel should be able to completely understand you!"_ She happily informed.

_"Good. I don't wanna have to be doing this again."_ After a few moments of shame for Snivy, Manuel came back out. It was awkward for the both of them.

"Sooo... I need your help with something now."

_"...And what would that be?" _Manuel took out a notebook and pen.

"What exactly has my old man taught you?"

_"You're kidding me. This was just so I can give you pointers?"_

_"Not really." _Scarlet was the one to answer. _"I just don't want to be having to translate every time you open your mouth."_

_"That would be annoying."_

"Well," Manuel had his pen on paper. "I'm all ears."

**\Later that Night...\**

Manuel was studying his head off, reviewing these notes. Scarlet was beside him. Snivy decided to nest out on the balcony, using a pillow as a sleeping bag. It's already been an hour, and Manuel was still trying to understand everything.

"It's like being homeschooled!" He messed up his hair, resting his head against the desk. His eyes went from purple to murky red. Scarlet was there to comfort him.

"I understand the rules and regulations. But all these strategies are unbelievable! Just how long has my old man been a trainer?" Scarlet started to read over his shoulder. Some stuff was listed about different type match-ups, training regimens, and even some battle tips. Some of this didn't seem like Michael's, but probably some of Snivy's unexpressed ideas.

_"I think this a little too much to absorb in one night. Take a break! We can put this off for some other time."_

"Yeah, alright. It's already 11:00pm. We should be getting to sleep..." Scarlet almost forgot. They had a schedule to keep. Michael promised Professor Juniper they'd be there at most in three days. They have to be at Striaton City by tomorrow.

_"Actually..."_ She glanced outside. Snivy looked asleep. Manuel was a little uncomfortable to ask, but he manage to spit it out.

"Do you...wanna try more of those things?"

_"I wouldn't mind it..."_ Was her shy answer. Manuel peered out as well. Still Snivy didn't budge.

"Scarlet, now is not the right time...but I want to do this...! I really do..."

_"Then what are you saying?" _Manuel's eyes were turquoise.

"Do you think we could hold off on this? At least until we can get used to moving around so much?" Scarlet was obviously disappointed but she didn't put up much of a fight. Her eyes became the same color.

_"Is it because of him?"_ She asked curiously.

"Partly. I wasn't expecting him to come with... I just need to figure things out. We have Aunt Juniper's research to think about as well..." Manuel switched off the lamp and made his way to bed, leading Scarlet by the hand like he used to. He played around with both of her hands.

"Come to bed with me. When this is all over, I promise we can do anything that."

_"Okay..."_ She gave up a laid over him. Manuel never hated being this close to her.

_"Goodnight..."_

"Sweet dreams..." The young couple went closed their eyes, and rested their weary heads. Sleep soon took hold of the two...

**Hey guys, that's it for this chapter. I got a lot of computer junk and History to work with. Remember to follow me on Twitter to see my progress, as I'm forcing myself to post at least once a day. **I'm also working on a new fanfic for Kingdom Hearts! **Leave a review or PM as well. I always take the time to answer back. I'll see you soon!**

* * *

><p><strong>Grey: Nothing, emotionally cut off, tired, still waking up<strong>

**Bright Red: Happy, playful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged, determined, impatient,**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, sadness, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love, lust**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, self conscious, scared of rejection, doubt, uncomfortable**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant, way relaxed**

**Purple: Mentally active, heavy thought, confused**


	9. Chapter 7: To Striaton City

**Hey guys, I saw the explosion of views after chapters 5 and 6. Over 8,000 views? Holy crap! Not to mention the new followers who are joining as I type this. I am excited to have so much support, and here's to another 2,000 more! On with the story! **

**Chapter 7: To Striaton City**

**\Nacrene City: Pokémon Center...\**

It was already eight o'clock. Scarlet was changing in the bathroom. Manuel was changing in the room. Snivy was outside, warming by the sun. The veins in his tail glowed with energy. He easily shook off the cold. His body somehow felt lighter, as if he were now full of energy **(The ability: Chlorophyll)**. Manuel was all finished. He wore his brown lenses. Snivy came in and tossed his pillow back on the bed. Manuel started straightening the blankets and sheets. When they were finished, Scarlet came out. She yawned and stretched.

_"Do we have to leave, already?"_

"If we don't leave now, we'll just get lazy and end up having to camp on Route 3."

_"We'll be back." _Snivy assured. Manuel started pulling some breakfast from his backpack. Three bags of trail mix would be enough to hold them off; at least for a while.

(I forgot we had an extra mouth feed. We might have to hurry to the next town...) Manuel handed them to the two pokémon. All the group had to do is hand the room key to the counter, and they were out. They finished the trail mix on the way. No one paid any mind to the traveling trio. Where the town exit should be was a white building with a green roof.

"Wait, is this the wrong way?" Manuel was about to consult the Pokédex when Snivy answered him.

_"No, this is the Checkpoint. Every town usually has one."_

_"And what's that?" _Scarlet asked. They already entered. There were two Officers on each end of the building. They sat in a chair behind the counter. There was a back door behind them. Probably where they hold criminals. Between the counters was a digital message board; the kind people use to type on. On the right were separate rows of chairs for resting travelers. This place seemed a lot bigger on the inside than it did outside.

_"You can say it's a way for preventing thugs from crossing into towns. It also acts as an information hub." _Manuel stopped talking when they passed by the first Officer. He didn't want to look crazy for talking to a pokémon. They passed through just as easily. _"Anyway, you can look at the board for news and stuff." _Outside was a large wooden bridge over a calm lake, and a long dirt road across many hills.

"This might take a while..." They started crossing over the bridge...

**\Somewhere along the Way...\**

"THAT was intense..." Manuel hunched over in exhaustion. Snivy just rested on Scarlet's shoulder. The two were covered from head to toe in scrapes. "Do we have to battle EVERY Trainer we see? I'm kinda tired of being hit with stray attacks..."

_"It's not my fault you're not paying attention! And besides, you're in the way too often."_ Scarlet tried to move at a slower pace for Manuel. From passing through they had a total of nine different battles, and Snivy fought them all. Manuel was hit by at least three attacks; Psywave, Razor Leaf, and Volt Switch. He was practically limping. Snivy took a great deal of damage as well, be he could bounce back just as easily. They at least managed to earn 3,500 pokéyen [$35] by doing so. Suddenly they could feel the ground rumbling.

"...The heck is going on?"

_"I think I sense something..."_ Scarlet used her ability to sense aura. Sure enough, something big was charging their way. _"It's coming fast!" _Manuel and Snivy could already see the cloud of dirt being kicked up.

"Look out! Runaway pokémon!" Someone in the distance shouted. Seven bull-like creatures were running through the fields.

_"Tauroooos!" [Freedoooom!]_ The rest of the pack cheered back.

(Really?! Of all the times, now?!)

_"I got this!" _Snivy was already on the offensive. He flapped his tail, and summoned a powerful Twister. Some of the Tauros backed away, but the rest were unfazed. They just charged through.

_"What are you doing?! Run!" _Scarlet was dragging Manuel by the hand. He was dragging his feet, still too tired.

"Wait! What about Snivy?!" Snivy was completely frozen. Even with the Grass-type so durable, being trampled would definitely earn an emergency visit to the Pokémon Center. He didn't have to think about it.

"Argh, screw it!" He ripped his hand free of Scarlet, and threw himself over Snivy. When he could hear the powerful stomping so close to him, he closed his eyes. Suddenly the air vibrated. The one Tauros slammed into a barrier **(Protect)**. It stopped running. The rest ran around the barrier and continued their blitz through the path. The stomping eventually grew quiet.

_"...Is it over?"_ Manuel let out a sigh of relief. He then shot a glare at the pokémon beneath him.

"Hey, I have an idea! Next time, let's NOT try to take on a pack Tauros!"

_"I thought I could take them..."_

"Well, you thought wrong! Because of you, we were almost six feet under!" He started dusting off his pants. Scarlet was holding her arm, more worried than upset. Her eyes went from glowing yellow to a normal turquoise.

_"...You okay?" _She asked. Manuel let his anger go. He took a deep breath before hugging her.

"I'm fine... Thank you..." They both turned their attention to a Pokémon Breeder running down the path. He appeared to be in his late teens. Instead of the traditional green outfit, his was red. By the time he caught up to the three, the young man was already wheezing.

"Are...you three...?! ...Ohh, I need a glass of water...!"

"We're fine. Just a little shaken up. What happened?" The Breeder took a gulp of air before speaking.

"Okay, so my Grandparents own a Daycare Center down the road, right? And...and they both went on vacation for a week. ...They left me to run the place. Someone dropped off a group of Tauros last night. One of them realized they could hop the fence, a-and...!" He started pulling on his own hair. "What am I doing?! I-I can't just stand here; they're getting away!" He started chasing after the other ones that escaped.

"Hiya!" He mounted the one Scarlet stopped and rode after them. The pokémon began running, after it's herd.

"Ookay, so that was something..." Manuel noticed the three Tauros that Snivy stopped. They stood idly by, eating grass.

_"Taur tor tauro tor tor Tauros?! Tor taur to taur taur ro?!" [How did little snake stop Tauros?! And where did wall come from?!]_

_"Tauros tor. Taur to tor tauro tauro to tauros?" [I dunno. Why we speak Russian accent in fanfic?]_

_"Tauros tor tauro tauro." [Tauros not follow question.]_

_"To or tauro, to? Tor to tauros tauro to tauro. Taur to tauro." [It is simple, da? This just meaningless filler for readers. Meant for laughs.]_

_"Orr! Tauros taur tor tor! To taur tauros taur tor tor. Tauros?" [~Ohh! Tauros have good point! We stop breaking fourth wall now. Sound good?]_

_"—Tor." [—Da.]_

_"—Taur ro!" [—Sound good.] _They all continued to eat grass.

"...Anyways...we should probably do this guy a solid and corral these things. If the Daycare is down the road, then that means so is Straiton City."

_"I don't think that's such a good idea..."_ Snivy warned.

"Says the one who tried to fight a pack of 'em..." Manuel lifted himself over one. The Tauros only ignored him. "C'mon!" He gestured to a spot behind him. Scarlet chose to join him.

_"You coming?"_ She asked. Snivy's stomach growled. It's been a few hours since they ate and the trail mix wasn't meant to last long.

_"Alright...might as well..."_ Snivy climbed on back. There wasn't much space for him.

"Ya!" Manuel kicked his heels on the sides of the pokémon the same way as the Breeder. There was an awkward moment of silence. "...Giddyup?" The Tauros still didn't budge. Snivy's stomach decided to act up again. He sighed.

_"I don't have time for this. Go!"_ The serpent used Vine Whip on the pokémon's rear! The Tauros raised its front legs and cried, spooking the other two. They were off.

"Hey! Easy!" Manuel grabbed it by the horns while Scarlet held onto him. He steered the wild pokémon ahead of the other two.

_"Tauro tauro! Tauro tauro!" [Get them off! Get them off!]_ The Tauros started bucking its head to make Manuel let go. This whole time, Manuel and Scarlet were screaming.

_"Tor tauro, tauros!" [Calm yourself, comrade!]_

_"To ro tauro taur!" [We are right behind you!]_ Peeking over a hill was a roof. They were coming up on the Daycare Center. It was a huge plot of land. At front was the Reception Building. Next to that was a huge fence the Tauros jumped before.

"Go...this way!" He yanked left, getting the Tauros to turn. He dug his heels on the side to make it jump. When they approached the stables, it didn't occur to him how to stop. Scarlet fell back while the Tauros raised its back end and threw Manuel over.

"Oof!"

_"Taur tor to tauros!" [This boy is crazy!]_

_"To to taur to tauro. Taur taur, tauro tor tor!" [We go back to stable. 'Least there, nobody smack ass!]_ The Tauros wandered off on their own. Manuel was still on his back, looking up at the sky. The sun was at the center, so it couldn't have been any earlier than twelve o'clock.

"Ow...!" Scarlet came into view, blocking the view of the sun.

_"Shoulda got off while you still could..."_ She helped him sit up.

"Wait. ...Where's Snivy?" The couple was about to panic. He wasn't riding with them. They eventually heard the patter of his footsteps.

_"I fell off...! I was calling you two...!"_

"You don't look so good."

"I just need a rest..." He panted.

"Gotcha." Manuel pulled out Snivy's Ball. He was absorbed away by the light. After that, Manuel stared at the group of Tauros. One was inside a pen, using its horn to close it. The other two were wandering around the yard. There was a bigger abundance of pokémon besides Tauros. There was a pond area where Water-types hung around, a rough dirt hill region for Fighting, Fire and Rock-types, and a forest area for Grass-types. There was plenty of land for all Pokémon, so why did the Tauros wanna escape?

_"What should we do with them?"_ Scarlet brought him from his senses.

"They don't look like they'll cause anymore trouble. I think we should just leave them." The wandered for a good ten minutes looking for the exit. That was when they heard the sound of more Tauros coming. Leading them was the Breeder. The four of them hurdled over the fence gate.

"Whoa!" The Tauros halted. The Breeder was looking at the Tauros the two had brought. "Five, six, seven. Did you get the other half for me?"

"Yeah, I figured we should help since it was on our way." Manuel rubbed the back of his head. The truth was he fell head-first pretty hard. Another injury to be added to the list.

"Well, I owe you both. If I lost a single one, I would've been in big trouble. My name's Leo, by the way."

"Um, Manuel. And this is Scarlet." She waved hello.

"What a peculiar Lucario ya got there..." The Breeder stared vaguely at the young pokémon. As soon as Manuel noticed, he came to. "Buddy, you're in rough shape! What happened to ya?"

"A lot of stuff actually. One of my pokémon is worn out as well."

"Come inside and I'll patch ya up real good." Scarlet's eyes turned bright red at his invitation. Manuel and Scarlet happily accepted. They were brought inside a cozy lodge out back, next to the forest area. Leo went down the hall, while making conversation here and there. Manuel and Scarlet were waiting on a sofa in the living room.

"So what brings you here?"

"Were on our way to Professor Juniper's for an arrend."

"That Lab in Nuvema Town?"

"That's the one." Leo came back with a first-aid kit and a blue spray bottle. It was a standard Potion, used to heal pokémon.

"Let's take care of you first..." He felt around the back of Manuel's head. "Where's it hurt?"

"The spot's in the back, near the top." Leo parted Manuel's hair to find large bump.

"Yeah, that's gotta hurt. Hold still..." He put some alcohol on a piece of cotton and rubbed over the wound. Manuel immediately hissed. Scarlet was about to try and say something when Leo interrupted.

"D'oh, don't be such a baby!" He wrapped some bandages over part of his head. He was all done. Leo turned his attention to Scarlet. He kneeled by and showed her the bottle.

"And you?"

_"Actually..." _She scooted back. Manuel was the one to speak for her.

"She's fine. It's my other pokémon that's injured." Manuel released Snivy from his Ball. He curled up on the couch. Snivy seemed to have an idea of what's going on since he offered his back to Leo. He didn't take many attacks from battling, but he scraped most of his back when he fell off the Tauros. After being sprayed, his wounds healed themselves.

_"Much better..." _Manuel sent him back in the Poké Ball. He knew Snivy was still exhausted.

"There! That should help you make it to Striaton City."

"Speaking of which, do you know how much further until we get there? My Pokedéx doesn't say how far it is."

"You're almost there! The town is 'bout another half-mile."

"Got it. Then I guess we should get going..." Manuel sat up and grabbed his bag.

"What's the hurry? You just got here."

"There's a Trainer School I wanted to check out. From there, I can learn a thing or two about battling."

"Ah, fresh out the door. I get it. Well, don't let me stop you. Happy trails!"

"Thanks again, Leo." They were on their way out.

"You be careful now." Scarlet and Manuel both left closing the door behind them.

_"You sure you don't wanna take it easy and rest?"_ Scarlet asked with concern. Her eyes were turquoise again.

"I'll be fine. What's another half-mile?" She didn't seem all that convinced. Manuel never told Leo about the other wounds from battling with Snivy, so those injuries were never taken care of. Manuel sighed.

"Alright... The School can wait. When we get to town, we'll grab a bite to eat, check-in to the Pokémon Center, and call it day. Sound good?"

_"Yup!"_ She gave a quick peck on the cheek since no one was around to see them. The two went on their way...

**\Striaton City: Pokémon Center\**

"Here is your Snivy and your room key. Will that be all?" The nurse asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Good, then move. I have more important things to do." Manuel was surprised by this. The woman's behavior suddenly changed from a kind to spoiled brat in only a second. "I said move."

"—Er, right." He did as demanded. The next person in line was taken care of. She quickly put back on that nice facade of hers. "Not your model Nurse Joy..."

_"Well she IS 17. Don't we have a right to be moody?"_

"How do you know that?"

_"I can read minds, remember?"_

"Right. Keep forgetting that..." Manuel let Snivy back out from his Ball. Scarlet was the one to pick him up.

"Alright, you're off the hook. Just try not pick fights just 'cause you're feeling confident."

_"...That's it?"_

"It's not like a slap on the wrist will do anything..."

_"Good point."_ It wasn't long until they reached their room. This time, it was on the fourth floor, room 410. An hour has passed since they left the Daycare. They spent most of their time trying to find a place to eat. They already wandered around long enough to get the layout of town. The Trainer School was near the Route 3 entrance. The way to Juniper's was the Route 2 entrance, south of here.

Manuel unlocked the door to their place. This room was far different than the one in Nacrene City. The first thing you walk into is a small kitchen with a standard-sized fridge, a sink and polished wooden counter; past that is a dining table with a few chairs. There was a small living room beyond the dining area with a couch and recliner; it had an even bigger flat-screen TV. Finally there were four doors. One lead to the balcony, another was the bathroom, and the last two led to seperate bedrooms.

"...Did she give us the wrong key?"

_"I thought they just give us a key and that was it? I didn't know there was different rooms."_

"I'll be right back. This is probably a mistake..."

**\Reenactment...\**

Manuel was busy being scolded by the same rude teen nurse as before. "Where did you live, under a rock? Look, this town is much bigger than whatever hogwash part of the region you came from. As a result, we have a lot more luxury to give. Make sense?" Manuel nodded.

"Now get lost!"

**\Back to the Story...\**

And that was exactly how it went. Your typical rude teen with an attitude.

"Not gonna earn Nurse Joy of the Year with that attitude...!" He entered the room. Snivy and Scarlet were already making themselves at home. She had the tin of her most precious Poffins on her lap. Snivy snuck one from under her using a single vine.

"She wanted an easy day, then that's what she gets..." He took off his lenses, revealing his bright red irises. Manuel decided to take a seat and join the two. The rest of the day flew by, fast...

**Hey guys, I know this chapter was relatively short. I also know I promised to post the next chapter soon, so I had to finish this early. To make up for this, I'm already working on the next chapter. If you haven't seen my Twitter post, I'm still having some technical difficulties with my electronics: My new laptop has a defective battery, so it has to remain plugged in #DownWithToshiba. And yesterday, my cellphone has finally broken down. The back case won't stay on, and the circuit that connects the phone to the battery has snapped in two. This was an old phone and needed to be replaced. Anyways, I am uncertain of how long these problems will last. Don't worry, though; the next chapter will come out soon. See ya guys later!**

* * *

><p><strong>Grey: Nothing, emotionally cut off, tired, still waking up<strong>

**Bright Red: Happy, playful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged, determined, impatient,**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, sadness, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love, lust**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, self conscious, scared of rejection, doubt, uncomfortable**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant, way relaxed**

**Purple: Mentally active, heavy thought, confused**


	10. Chapter 8: Nuvema

**Chapter 8: Nuvema**

**\Striation City...\**

It was already evening. The sun is high and the sky, and the occasional autumn breeze kept the town cool. Today is just Manuel and Scarlet. Snivy was still relaxing inside his Poké Ball. The two were heading over to the Trainer School.

"Here it is." Scarlet looked up. The School was a large blue building with a bright orange roof. Scarlet followed Manuel in. There were several kids already on their way back home.

"Wait. This isn't right..." These were children below the age of ten; the ones who are still learning the basics or haven't left the house yet.

*Gasp!* "Look, a pokémon!" One child shouted. The kids immediately started cramming around Scarlet. Her eyes were bright yellow.

"—Look at its eyes!"

"—Are you sure this is a pokémon?"

"—Hey, it's even wearin' clothes!"

"—Looks more like girl!"

"—I wanna turn, I wanna turn! Please, mister?!" The crowd of children became overwhelming.

_"M-Manuel, do something!"_ Some were petting her, others grabbing her tail, one was actually pulling her hood. They were all excited to see a pokémon, but this is simply too many!

"The little turds are everywhere! Just run!" It's not like he could hit them; they're just kids! And trying to settle them all down is impossible. He dragged her by the hand and tried to run past them. The two turned left at an intersection.

"Look! They're getting away!" The kids started chasing after them. As they were turning another corner of the hall, they ran into a woman. Her books were thrown into the air. Scarlet managed to catch two; while one...landed on Manuel's stomach...then another on his face.

"—There they are!"

"—C'mon, c'mon!"

"—Get 'em!" The kids turned the corner, but stopped when they found their favorite teacher on the floor. It was a woman with normal blue eyes and dark blue hair. She wore a white lab coat, and a bright pink dress & heels. She had glasses as well, but they were on the floor.

"What in the world is going on?!" She was looking for her glasses. Scarlet's hands were full at the moment, so Manuel handed them to her.

"Um...here." It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. "Sorry 'bout that." The teacher ignored him and looked at the crowd of students.

"Class is over. You should all be heading home right now!"

"—Aww! Yes, Ms. Fennel..." The kids all left, feeling disappointed.

"Again, sorry... Kids; what're you gonna do?" The woman stood up and started dusting herself off.

"Look, it's fine. Just had a really long d—." She was collecting her books when she noticed Scarlet. "...And just who are you?" She leaned closer to Scarlet.

_"U-uh..."_ Her eyes turned dark green.

"This is my partner, Scarlet."

_(Partner...?)_ She wondered. Scarlet never really did anything except keep him company.

"Oh! Where are my manners?! My name's Fennel. I help fill-in for the teachers once in awhile."

"...Flower Girl?" Manuel suddenly found himself saying.

"E-Excuse me?" Scarlet was just as confused.

"Does the name 'Manny,' ring any bells?"

"Give me a minute..." The woman thought to herself.

**\Flashback...\**

Michael and Professor Juniper were both catching up. Manuel was three years old at the time. He was still dull and bored of everything; but even so, he was at that age where kids want to explore the world.

"So how's your research going?"

"It's going great. Get this: I'm currently studying the effects of dreams between Pokémon and their Trainers, and the one leading the project is only fourteen!" Michael coughed up his coffee.

"Fourteen?! You've gotta be kidding me!" Both siblings were too distracted to notice the child wandering off. The boy ran through the halls until he found a sliding glass door. On the other side was a luscious paradise for him to explore. There were trees, open fields, and a variety of flowers. He took one step and already found something interesting. It was pink flower clip that resembled the one on the back of the pokémon, Munna...

**\\\**

"Well it's been fun talking, but I have a meeting to get to."

"I understand. Guess we should be getting home as well." Michael turned around to pat his son's head, but Manuel wasn't there. He's already long gone.

"Shit!"

"I'll call security and have them look for a runaway toddler! You keep looking!"

"Right!" Juniper went to go find a nearby phone. "Dammit Son, where'd you go?!"

**\\\**

Manuel was trying to pick an apple from a tree. For someone so short, he managed to climb up on his own. The child kept reaching for it, slowly coming clo—.

"—Get down from there, it's dangerous!" A security guard startled the kid. Instead of plucking an apple, he fell and landed on the tail of a sleeping Fraxure. The dragon pokémon awoke in anger. It turned to the young child, ready to raise its claws. The security guard was too shocked to do anything. Manuel looked ready to cry.

"Munna—Hypnosis!" Someone from behind called out. The Fraxure swiped, but hit the tree and collapsed. The pokémon was out cold! That was when Manuel noticed the girl in a white coat and her pink, floating...companion floating beside her. *Does anyone even know what the hell Munna's supposed to be?! Seriously!* The girl offered her hand to the little boy.

"Come with me. I'll take you back to your auntie." When she had the boy's hand, the girl noticed the clip he was holding.

"...Is that?" The little one was reluctant at first, but felt she deserved to have a peek. Her eyes lit up with joy.

"My hairclip! I've been looking everyone for that! ...Can...I have it back?" The boy shook no. He found it, so he should keep it. The girl looked for something to trade. She spotted the apple.

"Is this what you want?" He wasn't really asking, but the girl climbed up and plucked it. He was about to take it when she pulled her hand away."Uh-uh. Flower first." His stomach was growling. He made a deal after all. After putting the hairclip back on herself, the girl carried the child, handing him to his frantic aunt.

"Oh, thank you so much, Fennel! I didn't think Little Manny could run so far!"

"Actually, I never knew he was there. I only found him, 'cause I was looking for something."

"Really?" Juniper looked at her young nephew. "And what do you have to say, young man?"

"Fowah Guh."

"No, that's Dr. Fennel."

"Mm-mm!" He pointed to her clip. "Her Fowah Guh." The Professor sighed.

"Fair enough... Now let's get you home before your daddy has a cow." The whole time they were walking away, the boy was giving a little wave.

"Bye!" She waved back.

**\Now...\**

"...Ohmigosh, it's YOU!" She dropped the books again and threw her arms around him. Even Manuel was excited to meet her. "You got so big! How old are you?!"

"I'm fifteen, now."

"Really?" She looked back at Scarlet, who's probably feeling a little left out. "Is this your first pokémon? You must be out of the house!"

"Yup. Today is day three."

"Wow...twelve years flies fast... But what brings you here?"

"Well, actually..." Manuel was hesitant at first, but told at least a portion of the truth. He took a puff of air before removing his brown contacts. His eyes were dark green, just like Scarlet's.

"What happened to you...?!"

"My eyes were originally grey, remember? They just started changing colors a few years back..."

"Do you know how?" Scarlet was the one to answer for him, shaking no.

"Mm-mm. We were hoping my Aunt Juniper could explain."

"But...she studies Pokémon..."

"My dad figures it has to be because of Scarlet." She waved.

"I guess there might be a connection. She is rather unusual... But that doesn't explain why you're here and not there."

"Oh right." Manuel pulled out his notebook full of pro tips on battling. "I needed someone to make sense of this for me. It has a lot of useful stuff from when my dad was still competing." Fennel briefly skimmed through the pages before throwing it in a nearby trashcan.

"Hey!" His eyes turned dark red. "What was that for?!"

"You know what this is called, right?"

"No. What?"

"Cheating. You're still too young to know everything. You need to learn it all yourself, or the knowledge won't be the same." Manuel felt disappointed. He wasted his time here. Fennel only smiled.

"...And besides, this is a school for children who haven't even had their first battle yet. You're only going to confuse people here." His irises were dark pink. Of course only he'd be dumb enough to make this mistake. Manuel put back on his lenses before anyone saw him.

"I have to get back to my research now. It was great seeing you again. Tell Juniper I said 'Hi,' as well!"

"Yeah. Sure thing!" He helped pick up the books for the Scientist. The three left together then went their separate ways. Fennel was on her way back to her apartment. Manuel and Scarlet were already heading for the gate to Route 2.

_"Who was that lady really? How do you know her?"_

"Well, when I was like two or three, I used to visit my aunt's lab often. Fennel would let me play in the habitat while she studied sleeping Pokémon. I got to be outside, and she kept me out of trouble."

_"Ah, okay. So what now?"_

"Well, we wasted some of our time, but we can still make it to Juniper's Lab before sundown."

_"Is it that short?"_

"The Pokédex says Routes 1 & 2 aren't that big. In between there is Accumula Town, but there's literally nothing of interest in that place."

"It still sounds long, though..." An idea suddenly hit her. "I'll race ya?"

"You don't even know what the Lab looks like!" He took a look past the gate. One of Accumula Town's buildings was barely in view. "Readysetgo!" He cut in front of Scarlet, but soon found himself behind her.

**\Later: Nuvema Town...\**

The sun was still descending, and the sky was a vivid orange. It had to be sometime past seven o'clock. Manuel somehow managed to misread the Pokédex. He thought the combined length of both Routes would be shorter than the average length of one when actually, each separate Route is only slightly shorter than than the average. As a result...well... Scarlet has been waiting there for five minutes now.

"Huff...huff...huff...!" Manuel was finally in sight, coming over a hill. It took him even longer to climb up the last one. He arrived on his knees. "Never...again!"

"Took you long!" Scarlet teased.

"I...yeah, whatever." He got back up after resting for a moment, his legs still feeling like jelly from that. They were wandering around, searching for Juniper's Lab.

"I thought you knew where it is?"

"I was only three when I visited. I'm lucky to remember the general area." If Nuvema had at least one skyscraper or a Pokémon Center, there would be a map of the place. But it didn't, so the Pokédex would be useless in this town. Manuel was adjusting himself, facing in different directions.

"...If the gate is North, and the left is West, then..." Sure enough, the lab was hiding behind a couple of houses. It resided in the Northwest edge of town. It was a white building with several windows and a sliding door in the front. They headed through the door. Scientists were passing through the lobby, on their way to who-knows-where. Manuel and Scarlet approached the counter. An old man in white coat was there.

"Can I help you, young man?"

"Yeah, my Aunt Juniper should be waiting to see us?"

"I beg your pardon?" The man had no clue what he was talking about. He was actually reading from some papers. Manuel groaned.

"Tell her, 'Little Manny came to visit...'!" The old Scientist lowered his reading classes to see him. He quickly recognized Manuel.

"Oh, I remember you! The last time I saw you, you were a little toddler! I'll go call Professor Juniper right away. Just one moment." He left the desk to go find a phone. Scarlet was over there giggling. Her eyes became dark pink.

_"Little Manny?"_

"Yeah, yeah. It's what she calls me by." She kept on laughing.

_"Tahahaha-hahaha-ahaha! Whatever you say, Manny!"_ The old Scientist came back after a while.

"Ookay, you aunt has said it is too late to see you now. She was hoping to see you earlier in the day, but now she'll be busy with work." He handed Manuel a piece of paper. "Living arrangements have already been made for you two. There are a group of houses in the center of town. Talk to the woman in the middle one, and she'll let you live there for the rest of your stay."

"Seriously?"

"Are you upset?"

"No, no, just a little confused. Did she say what time she'd be free?"

"Yes, actually. Juniper has nothing scheduled for tomorrow at 3:00pm. Come by then."

"3:00pm. Got it. C'mon, Scarlet..." The young pokémon followed him out. As the doors closed, Manuel hunched over.

"That whole race was pointless!" Not only had he lost, but even if he made it first, she wouldn't have been available.

_"So what does the paper say?"_

"Oh yeah. Give me a minute..." He unfolded the sheet of paper and only read the beginning before folding it back up.

_"Well?"_ Manuel sarcastically answered.

"...More family! ...Great!" He started walking searching around for the right house. There wasn't that many, so the search was narrowed down to the three aligned in the center of town. He knocked on the door of the middle house. A boy with brown hair and eyes answered the door. He wore a black & grey t-shirt and black pajama pants. The dude was brushing his teeth when he answered the door.

"Neesh sholmething?"

"Your mom home?"

"Mollm!" He called. A woman with long brown hair and blue eyes came from the kitchen. She wore a white long-sleeve and a green skirt with red sweater tied around her waist.

"Yes?"

"Aunt Juniper said to give you this?" Manuel handed the paper, watching the woman read it. When she lowered the note, she smiled and put an arm around her son.

"...Well, would you look at that. Hilbert, this is your cousin!" His eyes grew. The toothbrush fell from his mouth, allowing the toothpaste to spill out. Manuel and Scarlet only smiled at her quick hospitality.

**\\\**

"I'll go make us some tea. You three play nice now!" She ran off to the kitchen in excitement.

"Hey, Scarlet? Do you think you can help her?"

_"Uhh, yeah! Sure..."_ Manuel watched as she hesitatingly followed the woman into the kitchen. Hilbert finished cleaning his mess and sat in the chair across from Manuel. Between the two was a small coffee table.

"...Manuel, right? So, how are we related?"

"I'm not so sure..." Manuel took a closer look at the Hilbert. There is something rather similar between the two. Their hair was the same color. They were around the same height. The only difference would be his brown eyes. Manuel was still wearing his contacts.

"Your mother is Lexy, right?" The mother asked from the other side of the kitchen. "She's my younger sister, so that make me your Aunt Blair."

"And I'm just hearing about this now, because...?"

"She lives on a mountain in Pinwheel Forest, dear. I stopped getting mail from her the same time she settled there."

"...Hey, Hilbert? Is it just you two here?"

"Yeah, why?" Manuel was staring at the coatrack by the door. There was a light blue coat, and a red hat with a black Poké Ball symbol on the front of it. Next to the rack was a mat with pair of red shoes and green heels. There were still a pair of shoes missing from the mat.

"My mom says he's just exploring the world..."

"Oh! I actually thought something else might've happened. Sorry..."

"No, it's fine. Last I heard, he was exploring the Sinnoh Region." There was a moment of awkward silence. Filling it was the ticking of a clock.

"...What brings you here anyways?" He paused for a moment. They were family, but they were also complete strangers.

(Dad always did say you could trust family...) His conscious reminded.

"Can you keep a secret?" Hilbert nodded. Manuel simply pointed at Scarlet, who was helping Blair.

**\\\**

"My, you sure know your way around a kitchen. And are those clothes? Lexy must've raised you well!"

_"Thank you?" (How come she gets credit?!)_ Her eyes were dark pink from jealousy.

**\\\**

"What do you see?"

"She wears clothes?"

"Well, yeah... But what else?" It suddenly dawned on Hilbert.

"She looks human... Hey, and her eyes change colors!"

"Now look back..." By the time he did, Manuel had already taken off one of his contacts, laying it on the table. His left eye was dark red. He was serious now.

"What in the...?!"

"Freaky, right?"

"Kettle's on the stove!" Blair came back. "It'll take a moment for it...to..." The mother stopped, noticing her son's shocked expression as well as Manuel's red eye.

"Hun, what happened to your eye?"

"Nothing. These are my eyes." Manuel removed the other contact, setting it next to the other. Scarlet quickly grew worried. Hers became dark green.

_"Should you really be telling so many people?!"_ These two would be the second and third people Manuel told today. He just gave a stiff shrug out of uncertainty.

"My parents already know everything. And it's not like I can keep these contacts on 24/7. Might as well tell them the truth before they find out themselves..." He stood up and took a breath. His eyes became yellow. Manuel started pacing around the room, not bothering to make eye contact.

"Okay...so it's obvious Scarlet is not your average Lucario. But it's more complicated than that... My eyes used to be grey. Ever since we met, my eyes started changing color the same way as hers. I can even understand what she says; I mean seriously understand every word. And I think I can do more things, too. Dad says I have a lot more energy for my age... I'm not really here to visit, but to get some answers from my aunt, Juniper."

"When did this really...?" Hilbert was too curious to form a proper sentence.

"About...three years ago?" He looked to Scarlet, who nodded back.

"My goodness! So this was fairly recent."

"Wasn't really expecting that..." Hilbert sat back down. "So how did it happen? You understanding her..."

"Well..." Her eyes became the same color. Scarlet walked away from Blair and next to Manuel. She knew he was gonna say the whole truth. She didn't feel comfortable standing with Blair when he explains. He gave a heavy sigh. He wasn't really ashamed of it, but how many people would be able to really understand their kind of relationship? He soon answered.

"It all started...with a simple kiss." Blair glanced back at Scarlet. She was too shocked for words.

"...A-Are Lexy and your father okay with this?!"

"My dad protested at first, but he saw that I was happy. He eventually got used to the idea."

"I...need a moment..." The kettle was whistling from the heat. This was her opportunity to let it all sink in. It was just the three young ones.

"...You? ...And her?" He pointed to Manuel then Scarlet.

"Yeah. Her." Hilbert put his arms over his head to keep himself calm.

"Dude, you are the craziest relative by far!" He gave a sigh and eased up. "...But I think I can keep it a secret."

"Thanks..."Manuel's eyes went to a bright red. Hilbert was a lot more laidback than expected.

"No prob." Scarlet's eyes were a dark pink. She was trying to sense what Blair was up to. The only thing she did was pour tea and occasionally space out. The mother was just trying to comprehend what Manuel and Scarlet probably did. The young pokémon felt embarrassed.

"Hey... You don't have leave so quick, right?"

"We're in no rush. Why, what's up?"

"My birthday is in seven days. I'm turning sixteen."

"Wait, how old?" It suddenly dawned on Manuel. He was a year younger than Hilbert!

"Yeah, I'll be out of the house. My friends are coming with me, too."

"Friends?" Scarlet elbowed Manuel.

"Just two. I don't have to tell them anything if you want? You can also go, if you're not down for that. I get it."

"I'm back with the t—!"

"—Mom, be careful!" Blair tripped over the back leg of the couch. The tray holding the kettle and teacups went in the air. Both pairs of eyes turned orange. It just happened automatically; Manuel and Scarlet each stuck their arms out and caught all the cups. The tray rattled to the floor, but the kettle was still airborne, right above Blair!

"Mom!"

(Stop!) His mind suddenly screamed as he flinched. His eyes were clenched shut.

"..." There was a period of silence as the unexpected just happened.

"...A-Are you okay?"

"I... Yeah... Thank you..."

"I didn't think a Fighting-type could know Protect... And Psychic, too."

_"I-I'm not the one doing that...! Manuel?"_ He opened an eye hearing his name. It glowed purple. He opened the other in surprise. The kettle had this thin layer of purple smoke keeping the object afloat. Blair was sitting green barrier Scarlet made was already dissipating.

"Wait. Is that...you?"

"I-I don't think I can put it down! Can someone grab it, please?" The mother stood up and carefully took it by the wood handle. The smoke Manuel saw disappeared as well. She set it on the table. Crisis averted. Manuel and Scarlet set the cups on the table as well. Blair blew the hair out of her face.

"Thank you for doing that."

"N-No problem. Really!"

_"Manuel? Are you feeling okay?"_ She put a hand to his forehead.

"Yeah. Just need to sit down for a moment..." He sat back in the chair. Blair started serving tea for everybody.

"I think I might've overreacted about you two... I don't mind whatever you two do, but what I do care about is that you do this somewhere private. We get a lot of visitors over; so if you're going to do something, I just ask you do it away from here."

"Yeah. I'll behave. Scarlet?"

_"Yes, Ma'am."_ She responded rather obediently. Probably out of nervousness. Her terms were understandable. This was her home they're staying in, and this is still illegal.

"How did you even do that?!" Hilbert spoke up. Out of all the things to surprise him, this had him by far the most entertained. The teen was on the edge of the of his seat.

"What, the cups or the kettle?"

"Both!" He stood up, trying to reenact the whole scenario. "You guys were like, 'Boom, boom!' You kept the kettle from spilling over, and she already put a field over my mom for double protection!" This got the young couple laughing at him. Soon enough, they both got comfortable.

**\Later...\**

Two hours flew by fast. Upstairs, it was already time for bed. The two would be staying in the guest room, next to Hilbert's.

"I'll be right across if you need anything. The bathroom is to the right, and help yourselves to the fridge if you two get hungry."

"We will. Thank you."

"Goodnight, you two." She left them to their privacy. Manuel set his bag by the front of the bed. Scarlet put hers beside the nightstand. He let out a tired sigh before feeling his wrist vibrate. He checked his Xtransceiver.

* * *

><p><strong>Mom<strong>

**Manuel: Hey, thanks for telling me about my Aunt Blair! Not like I wanted to know if I had an older cousin or anything.**

**Mom: Oh, you found out? Oh well! Love you, kiddo! Stay safe! 3**

**Manuel: I will. Love you, too.**

* * *

><p><strong>Dad<strong>

**Manuel: Hey! You realize your sister's idea of "living arrangements" is dumping me last minute with Mom's sister, right? The poor woman didn't even know I exist!**

**Dad: Hahahaha... Yeah, sounds like something Aurea would do. But you're both fine, right?**

**Manuel: Yeah, 'course.**

**Dad: Good. That's all that matters. I heard rumors that Team Plasma have been becoming more active these days.**

**Manuel: Team Plasma? That weird syndicate? I haven't ran into anyone like them yet. But I'll be sure to keep an eye out.**

**Dad: Stay safe. I love you.**

**Manuel: Love you too, Pop.**

**Dad: 'Night.**

* * *

><p>*Sigh* "..." He set the Xtransceiver down on the nightstand. Scarlet came back in dressed for bed, wearing her plain white shirt and pale blue briefs. Manuel never noticed she left the room.<p>

_"Aren't you gonna get changed?"_

"Yeah, just had to check my messages."

_"I never knew you could do that..."_ She suddenly became more serious her eyes were turquoise. Manuel knew exactly what she was talking about. He pulled out a spoon from his hoodie pocket.

"To be honest, neither did I. I learned it from Sid during his spare time..." Still holding the spoon in his hand, his eyes glowed purple. It bent left, then fixed itself. His eyes returned to a normal bright red.

"See? All he taught me was simple party trick. It took forever just to get it right."

_"...Is there anything else you haven't told me?"_ Manuel thought it over for a moment. His eyes became a bright yellow. There is one thing he can recall.

"Once in awhile...I can see this colorful smoke around people and certain objects..." Her eyes became bright red, just as how his were before. Scarlet had a hand over her mouth.

_"Is that all?"_ She asked in a tone that felt more relieved than worried.

"Yeah. That's it." She layed on her side of bed, next to Manuel.

_"That 'Smoke' you're seeing is actually called 'Aura'."_

"Aura?" He suddenly remembered the Pokédex entry on Lucario. This is what their kind could sense.

_"I was never taught about it from anyone, but I know what you're seeing is definitely aura."_ Manuel wasn't really paying attention. He was already making a mental note to look into this later.

(Aura...) He shook himself out of it. "Er, I'm gonna get dressed. Then we can go to sleep." He pulled his clothes out from the bag and headed to the restroom. After a couple of minutes, he returned with a black tanktop and red & black plaid boxers, his original clothes now in his hand. He playfully jumped on to his side of bed, earning a laugh from Scarlet. Manuel turned off the light. He could feel her scooting closer and resting her head over his chest. Her voice became more quiet, since Hilbert was probably asleep by now.

_"...Hey Manuel?"_

"Yeah?"

_"What kind of woman is your aunt like?"_ Manuel was a little taken back by the question, but he answered.

"Hmm, what kind of woman? ...I guess you could say she loves her work. She studies Pokémon, but is still sure to tend to their needs. She might be a little immature at times, but I can't really say anything bad about her."

_"So I won't be locked up in a cage or anything?"_ Manuel chuckled a little, holding her a little tighter.

"I think you'll get along with her. Trust me..." Her tailed dragged across the blanket, now covering Manuel.

_"I really hope so... Goodnight."_

"Sweet dreams." She was the first one to fall into a light sleep. Manuel laid there for minutes just thinking. He remembered how the incident occurred.

(I still can't believe I pulled that off...) Recalling how Hilbert reacted put an embarrassing smile on his face. Everything else went out the window after his cousin saw that.

(He's not gonna let this go for a while...) Looking back at Scarlet helped him to relax. His eyes grew heavy as he let out a tired yawn.

(The colors...are aura...) He eyes were blinking out, growing closer to realm of sleep.

(Colors...) Sleep was finally claiming him. Everything turned black, all except for the pink mass in front of him. It was so close, he could feel it.

(Aura...) This aura—it produced a loving warmth familiar to him. It wasn't smoke-like as the previous ones. This particular color behaved like a calm, gentle fire; lukewarm at best. The color he saw soon disappeared, and that warm feeling soon left him.

(...I want to see it more...) He slipped into comatose...

**Hey Guys, so what do ya think? I know it took a while, but I always deliver! And how awesome is that! Hilbert, A.K.A. Pokémon Trainer Black, is family! History in college has been a real bitch, but I'm getting better at managing my time. Expect a chapter or two a month. I'll see ya next chapter. Don't forget to review!**

* * *

><p><strong>Grey: Nothing, emotionally cut off, tired, still waking up<strong>

**Bright Red: Happy, playful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged, determined, impatient, serious**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, sadness, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love, lust**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment, jealous**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, self conscious, scared of rejection, doubt, uncomfortable**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant, way relaxed**

**Purple: Mentally active, heavy thought, confused, mental abilities may act involuntarily**


	11. Chapter 9: The Research Begins

**Chapter 9: The Research Begins**

**\Earlier...\**

Manuel, Scarlet, and Snivy were all gathered at the entrance to the Lab. The sliding glass door shut behind them. The group was just about to take a seat when they found who they were looking for signing a form by the reception counter. The woman wore a white labcoat over her tanktop, a green skirt, and plain white sneakers. After signing, she turned to notice the trio walking in, those shining red jewels on her ear now swaying.

"Is that really...?"

"Hey, Aunt Juniper," Manuel scratched the back of his head shyly. "...Been awhile, hasn't it?" The woman came running with her arms open for a hug. Manuel only managed to make it halfway before getting tripped by a vine.

_"Mama!" _The Grass-type came waddling over with his vines already receding back into his body.

"Agh! Fuck...!" Manuel hissed, now holding his knee. He didn't just fall, he actually flew a few feet before bouncing off the floor!

"Oh, my precious little darling, you're still as cute as ever!" The Professor scooped up the small snake, hugging like it were her long lost child.

_"Haha, don't be fooled! I've gotten much stronger since I left!"_ He answered back, nuzzling her face.

"I'm sure Michael put a lot of effort into you. Oh, you make me so proud!" As adorable of a moment as it was to see these two reunited, Manuel was still on the floor. Scarlet offered a hand.

_"You okay?"_

"Yeah. Not gonna lie, though... Dick. Move." Manuel dusted himself off when he realized his aunt staring at him.

"Hey, Aunt Juniper!" He smiled as if nothing happened.

"Are you...really Manny?"

"Yeah. It's me."

"...My god... Look at you! You've grown so much!" Her shock turned to absolute joy, as she wrapped him in a hug as well. That's when she finally noticed the young pokémon behind him.

"And this must be your Pokémon. I've never seen anything like it before." She moved closer to her face. Scarlet's eyes became dark green.

"Yeah. This is my partner, Scarlet. Scarlet, this Professor Aurea Juniper; my aunt."

_"Uh, hello..." _She tried to wave politely. _(Why does everyone have to get so close?!)_

"It's been so long since I've seen you!" She squeezed her young nephew even tighter. "Follow me over to the break room. I wanna catch up before we start." Snivy curled up around the back of Professor Juniper's neck, becoming her scarf. Manuel happily walked behind, however stopped when he noticed Scarlet wasn't following. He turned around. The young pokémon stared into space.

"Scarlet, c'mon!" He shook her by the shoulders, snapping her out of it.

_"...Huh?"_

"You alright?"

_"Yeah. Just surprised is all."_

"Surprised?"

_"Besides all the people, there's a lot of plants and Pokémon inside this building. I wonder how much it costs to keep this place running..."_

"You know what, I never actually thought about it before..." This probably had to be the first time the subject came up. Pokémon need a lot of food, and with so many, it has to be difficult. Not to mention someone has to take care of all the plants within and keep fresh water flowing into the habitat. There must be a lot of maintenance being done behind the scenes of this place.

"Hey, you two—hurry up!" His aunt called from across the hall.

"Coming!" He answered, quickly shaking the thought from his head. "Let's go!" He led Scarlet by the hand. From there, it would be a while before things actually began...

**\Now...\**

It's been a little over an hour and a half since Manuel and Scarlet both parted ways. Because he wasn't a Pokémon, it was only natural for the both of them to be examined separately. They already had Manuel's height and weight out of the way. Right now, they're checking his heart rate. Scarlet was somewhere else in the facility, probably going through something similar. Manuel sat in what appeared to be a nurses office. He was left without a shirt. A physician held a stethoscope to his chest to feel his heartbeat. He was an old man that seemed to be very knowledgeable about the human body.

"37 Bpm [Beats per minute]. This can't possibly be right..." The old man muttered.

"That's why I called for you. Someone his age should have have between 60-100." Said the female nurse, standing by the door frame. "Could this really be his pulse?" The doctor looked into Manuel's eyes. They were a dull, disinterested grey. He appeared out of it.

"Young man, do you run often?"

"Hm? Oh! Only when I'm racing Scarlet."

"Scarlet?"

"My..." He let out a heavy sigh. "...She's a Pokémon."

"And what kind of Pokémon is Scarlet?"

"A Lucario." The doctor gave the cue for the nurse to write this down.

"And do you two run often?"

"We used to do it a few times out of the week. Now, not as often since traveling." Manuel looked up. The nurse was still jotting down his answers.

"Is that everything, or is there more?" He asked impatiently.

"Do you have any allergies?"

"No."

"Take any medication?"

"No."

"Sexually active?"

"Well—" He caught himself mid-answer. Manuel's eyes flashed dark pink.

"W-What kind of health question is that?!" The nurse was still writing this down. After a rather awkward back and forth and refusing to answer ***He pled the fif'!***, Manuel moved on to the next test. He had to run as fast as possible around the dirt path within the Pokémon Habitat for a span of ten minutes. When time was up, his hands were resting on his knees, completely out of breath. Those orange eyes were dimming back down. A specialist wearing a stopwatch around her neck records the results.

"Hmm, child exceeds a length of almost four miles and is naturally winded..."

"Is that good?" She looked back at her clipboard.

"Even the fastest children your age are lucky if they could run just one mile in under 4:30. To put it bluntly, you shouldn't be capable of this." The woman answered as straightforward as possible.

(So this much energy isn't normal...) He looked at his own sweaty palms. Manuel got winded just like any other person, but he never really noticed how far the gap was between him and "normal." His heart rate finally settled, and his eyes returned to their grey color. Manuel's vitals were taken again, except only this time his resting pulse was 18 bpm. They checked over ten times with different methods before finally settling for the average. Manuel felt tired and slower than usual, but the tests dragged on. They asked him more health-related questions, drew blood from him, and so much more. It would be a long time before they would finally finish. In between one of his tests, Manuel had other things in his mind.

(Wish I knew how she was doing...) It's been a long time since he and Scarlet have ever been separate, so long that he doesn't exactly know how to feel without her. And all these boring tests just made time feel a lot slower. He thought back to yesterday. Scarlet called that stuff he saw, "Aura." The Pokédex says Lucario can use this to sense others nearby as well as read their thoughts.

(Maybe I could...) He wanted to try it out. And why not? He's done it a few times before, even if by accident. It shouldn't be too hard to learn. He shut his eyes tight as possible. Though he only saw black, there was a brief flash for just a moment.

(Please work...) He stood still now, concentrating. There were two more flashes. Just for a second, Manuel saw his own two hands. They were grey.

(Almost...!) With one more flash, he could see a small, glowing, white ring in the area around him. This was the extent of his vision, just 20 feet. Small blue wisps of smoke were floating back and forth, fading away once they passed outside the ring.

(So this is aura...) Though others appeared as colorful wisps, Manuel was the only one with a complete body. His own aura became a calm blue.

(I don't hear anyone's thoughts...) Maybe he's doing it wrong? Or Perhaps he needed to focus harder.

(Okay, concentrate... Where is Scarlet?) The ring expanded, slightly; but for some reason, he wasn't seeing anything in most of the rooms. People were clearly going in, but it's like they disappear within. Either way, it was obvious.

(She isn't here...) He looked at the floor beneath him. Even it could be seen through. Manuel gave up, letting his vision return to normal.

"Is everything alright?" The nurse escorting him asked. She stared at him curiously.

"Huh?"

"You spaced out in the middle of the hallway?"

"I, uh...yeah. Just thinkin' about someone..."

"Well, let's move on then. We're not any closer to finishing."

"Right..." Manuel caught up with the nurse. It would be a while before they were actually done.

(It's only a few more hours... Just get over yourself!) He tried to tell himself. But these few hours felt more like an eternity.

**\Meanwhile...\**

(This just goes on forever...) Back on Scarlet's end, she was inside what resembled a fitness gym. The hardwood floor had a big blue mat over it. There were several benches for bench-pressing, racks holding dumbbells, a jammer, punching bag, and even a treadmill; they had everything people or Pokémon could need right here. Sitting on a bench was Professor Juniper, who happily waved to the young pokémon. Scarlet hardly paid the woman any mind. Her eyes were grey.

"From this, I'm going to see how much you can lift and compare your strength to other Fighting-types." A blonde man in his mid-thirties came through the door, wearing a red & white tracksuit.

"Perfect timing! He's going to be showing you the correct form for the three basic lifts I'll need you to do."

"Uhh, is this the right room, 'cause I thought I was coming to train a human?"

"Nope! Today, you're teach a pokémon."

"Wow. Okay..." He scratched the back of his head. There was a huge difference between human and Pokémon, so it naturally felt uneven for the guy.

"...Then let's start with how much you can lift while squatting." The instructor went over to a huge rack where a large bar rested. He set an impressive amount of weight on the bar, 250 lbs as heavy. He demonstrated the proper technique, squatting down and gripping the bar from beneath. The bar rested on top of his shoulder.

"You start lifting...like this...!" The man grunted as the weight rose from its resting place. He continued to lift it repeatedly until he could no more. Then he set the bar down, letting out some air.

_(This guy is really out of shape...)_ She thought to herself. But truth is this was near the average for a human.

"There! Now try doing the same..." He gestured to the the same bar. She was hesitant, but complied. Scarlet crept beneath the bar, unsure of her own limits. She never lifted anything heavier than Manuel, so it already seemed difficult. Juniper's hand only hovered over her clipboard, her smile never leaving. Scarlet took a deep breath and sighed.

_(Well, here goes nothing...)_ She pushed off with her legs. The bar raised effortlessly. _(Hm?) _Scarlet tried again. And again. This was too easy for her.

"You've got to be kidding me!" His jaw dropped.

"Wow, so 250 pounds is child's play for you!" The instructor shook his head.

"Okay. For this to work, we need to find your limit. Let's try adding another twenty pounds to each side." He added another forty pounds, now weighing at 290 lbs. Again. Lifted with little resistance.

"Try adding a little more." Juniper suggested. They ended up repeating this over and over until finally...

"Okay, this is 500 pounds! If this isn't her limit, I give up. You ready, dear?" Scarlet wiped the sweat from her forehead. This became a lot more difficult after 400 lbs. She pushed off with everything in her legs, letting out a tired grunt as she did so. Slowly, the bar was rising. Her eyes started glowing orange, giving her that last push to finish. You know when people say they feel the burn? Well her legs felt like fire!

"Hmm, so 500 it is..."

_(Is that it...?) _She mentally asked in exhaustion. She tried to see what the two were thinking. _(...Am I done?)_ On the outside, Juniper looked so natural; but inside, she was excited to see a creature so strong.

(I've never seen a Lucario lift so much without any training! And this only strength. We haven't recorded her physical power yet. I should try testing that after...) Scarlet turned to the fitness trainer.

(And here I thought that dainty little thing couldn't lift much. Man, I need to find a better job! Being easily outdone is too degrading...) Even Snivy, who was still coiled around Professor Juniper's neck, had a thought.

_(Man, this is going to take forever... Oh, well. I've got plenty of time...)_ He wrapped tighter around Juniper's neck, earning scratch on the forehead. This really was going to take forever.

_(I hope he's doing okay...)_ She found herself thinking about Manuel. Scarlet tried to sense further out, past the walls. But it was no use. There were too many machines in each room. They interfered with her sight. She began to sigh. They haven't been apart since the incident with J.

_(This is pretty new to me...)_ This separation made Scarlet think as far back as the night before they left. She never felt closer to him than on that night. It's been only four days since then... But she found herself longing for it.

_(I wanna feel that way again...)_ Scarlet's eyes became pink. Her chest suddenly felt hot.

"Are you okay, precious?" Juniper snapped her from her thought.

_"Wha...?"_

_"We still have more to go."_ Snivy reminded.

_"Right! So, what's next...?" _She continued with her exercises, but still, her mind wandered...

**\After...\**

Inside, Hilbert comfortably sat on the couch and watched television. Blair is taking care of everyone's dishes from last night. They were guests, so she figured it would be rude of her to have them wash. And Hilbert would run if ever saw a sponge. That said, he was watching a live battle in the Sinnoh League. A woman wearing all black competed. Her long blonde hair had these small clips that resembled an Umbreon's appendages.

"Both our Champion and challenger are down to their last Pokémon! Who will win this exciting battle?!" She threw a Poké Ball.

"Garchomp—battle stance!" This dark blue Dragon and Ground-type Pokémon appeared. Its underbelly was red. The pokémon had fins on its arms, its tail, and even its back. The woman's opponent—a boy with purple hair, a blue & black jacket, and grey pants—threw out his Poké Ball.

"Weavile—standby!" He ordered with an intimidating tone. Even from his voice, it was obvious the boy was desperate. Emerging from the light was pale grey pokémon with a red crown and sharp claws. It looked fast. The two Pokémon stood in silence, analyzing the other. The audience all held their breath, now on the edge of their seats. So too was Hilbert. Seconds passed until—

"Use Metal Claw!" The boy commanded. The Weavile's already sharp claws glowed. They became a polished, metallic texture.

"Garchomp—use Brick Break." The Garchomp's fins began to glow as well. The two lunged at the same time, clashing together. The force threw Weavile back, who quickly recovered to its feet.

"Swords Dance!" The Weavile raised its hands above its head in an unusual pose. Six sharp blades were raised up. "Now use Metal Claw!" The swords faded away, and the Weavile lunged again with claws at the ready.

"Fire Fang!" The woman commanded. The Garchomp caught the Weavile by the wrist, and clamped down on its shoulder. Wisps of fire escaped from the Dragon-types mouth as the Garchomp shook its victim wild. The Weavile was thrown back after.

"You have to get up, now—that's an order!" The Weavile struggled to stand, but it managed. The poor thing panted in exhaustion. Its master refused to let it rest.

"Well show her how much stronger we've become! Now...Swords Dance!" Raising both hands again to summon those swords. Its claws became even sharper than before. "Metal Claw! Go!" It lept off even more viciously.

"Brick Break, again!" Garchomp's fins glowed again. They both took off in a rush, both striking rapidly and blocking the other.

"That's it! Use it now!" The Weavile understood what it's master meant. It swept the Garchomp's leg from under him. The Dragon-type hit its head against the ground. The Weavile brought both hands together, condensing a large blue orb of cold air.

"Blizzard!" The boy commanded. The Weavile unleashed a cold freezing storm of snow on the Garchomp, who only used its fin-arm...thing...to block. The woman casually stood as her pokémon endured the brunt of the attack. She had the faintest of smiles.

"Do it!" The Garchomp used its leg to pull the Weavile closer. The pokémon cancelled its attack out of surprise. Opening its mouth, a purple ball of heat charged.

"Dragon Pulse!" The ball bursted into a powerful beam of energy, blasting the Weavile at point-blank. Its will to fight left, and the pokémon fell unconscious. The crowd cheered in a frenzy, even Hilbert rose from the couch. The two exchanged comments. She only gave advice on how to raise all his Pokémon with better care. The boy coughed up an attitude, but conceded defeat.

"Cynthia has pulled off another AA-MAZING victory! To be expected of our Champion, of course. But we can only hope the next challenge will be as thrilling. That's all the time we have for now. Tune in next time for another exciting battle!" Hilbert sat back down in his chair and sighed in disappointment.

"He wasn't on?" His mother asked from the kitchen door. Hilbert only groaned.

"No... It was just some other guy. When is he supposed to come on, anyways?" His mother leaned over the counter to look him in the eyes.

"Your father always loved to take in the sights of everything around him. Give him some more time. I'm sure you'll see him on TV soon..."

"I don't have forever! I wish...I could see him...before..." Hilbert looked at the frames resting on a shelf. There were badges, all awarded from various regions around the world. Hilbert's father left Blair before he was ever born. The only thing he knew about his father is what his mother tells him.

"Y'know, your father hasn't forgotten about you..."

"...Just where is he?"

"Still finishing the final stretch of his journey. Your father always wanted to see the world, making friends with everyone that passes. He thought the more he saw, the stronger him and his Pokémon would become. It's his devotion that made me fall for him in the first place."

"Well you picked some prize—ah!" Blair flicked her son in the back of the head.

"Of course I did. I won a Hilbert." ^_^

"Ow! The heck are your nails made of?!"

"They're made of the same stuff used for your shots." She gave a playful grin, getting her son to back away with a chill. "Now go wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" He fled upstairs. As Blair watched her son cower in fear, the front door finally opened. An exhausted couple came walking in.

"What took you two so long?"

"They wanted to gather as much info recorded about us in just one day..."

_"My legs feel like jelly..."_ Scarlet fell to her knees. Manuel was just as tispy. Blair took a whiff of the air around them.

"The worst part is this is going to be our whole week...!"

"Yeesh, you two reek! Take a shower! Dinner'll be ready soon."

_"—Right."_

"—Gotcha." They both responded. Heading upstairs, they ran into Hilbert.

"What happened to YOU? It's already 8:30pm."

"A lot. A lot happened..." Manuel answered, weaving past his cousin. Scarlet did the same. They both gathered a clean pair of night clothes.

"Hey, I think I should shower first. It takes a long time for you to get out."

_"Yeah. Okay, sure."_ By the time she got out, dinner would already be cold. So she let Manuel go first. There was nothing to do but rest against the bed and think about what transpired today.

_(What a day...) _She mentally sighed. In only a few hours, Scarlet had to lift objects far heavier than herself, try her hardest punch without using a move, and give blood. They wanted to compare her strength and intelligence, to other Pokémon. The poor thing was burning up; and all 'cause she couldn't cool down!

_"Aghh, _how much longer is he gonna take?!_"_ Scarlet sat up. It's been awhile since Manuel went in. She couldn't wait her turn to cool off. _(Maybe I should...)_ She closed her eyes to concentrate. Just one peak couldn't hurt. Across the hall was a calm blue figure cleaning himself. Her face turned red.

_"Eep!" _She tried to cover her eyes, though that didn't really help. Everything was visible from his exact figure to the water touching his skin. Scarlet could feel a slight fluttering in her chest. It isn't just the heat getting to her now. Her eyes became pink.

_(He can't hog the shower himself!) _She took a step off the bed without realizing.

_(I-It's not like he hasn't seen me naked before...right?)_ She took another step forward. Before she knew it, her thoughts carried her to the bathroom door. Manuel got to see everything of her, but Scarlet didn't get to see everything of Manuel. Her feelings were getting the better of her. Scarlet looked both ways in the hall. Snivy wasn't with the two; he wanted to spend as much time with Juniper as he could before they left. The TV was still on downstairs, so dinner hasn't been served yet. The coast is clear. The door had no lock to it, so she quietly let herself in. The glass door to the shower was designed to be impossible to see through, but she could hear someone let out a tired sigh from behind the glass. He was definitely still in the shower. Inside, Manuel finished rinsing his hair when he heard a knock against the shower door. It was enough to make him jump.

_"Manuel...?"_ He could see the feminine figure through the glass and knew it was Scarlet.

"Yeah?"

_"You've been in there for a while now, so..."_

"Sorry. I'm just about finished. I'll come out in a minute, so just—"

_"Actually...I wanna join you."_

"What? Scarlet—"He paused when he saw her silhouette already undressing, starting with her shirt.

_"Isn't this what couples do...?"_

"Well, yes, but..." He's only seen her naked once, so he wasn't really used to this yet. But if he makes a big deal of this, Hilbert and Blair might come to investigate. While he was lost thought, Scarlet was now fully undressed. She hid her clothes behind the bathroom counter, where no one would notice.

_"...I'm coming in now."_ Manuel moved back to make room. Scarlet took a step in, already closer than expected.

"You okay?" He asked with genuine concern. Scarlet remained silent. Her face was flushed red, drawing near. "...Scarlet?" The gap grewer shorter. He was against the wall. She went in for a kiss. Her body pressed against his to keep him from moving. It was like something came over her. This was a different pace than the way they normally kissed. Her tongue fought with his more aggressive than usual, easily overpowering his own. It didn't take long for his shocked expression to melt away. His hands now wandering to her soft, firm butt, pulling her just as close. Even with the cool water hitting their skins, her entire body radiated with heat. Their mouths eventually parted, but not for air. There's something poking Scarlet's leg. There was just no hiding it for Manuel. Scarlet looked at him from top to bottom, now paying more attention to his member.

_"I've never seen you naked before..."_

"W-Well...?" She kneeled in front of him, her hand now hovering over it.

"I think I need to see more..."Manuel shuddered when just her hand brushed against its length. Scarlet lightly stroked him, testing the waters. After a while his breathing became heavy. She smiled, seeing he enjoyed this. She decided to go one step further, slowly taking it past her lips. He gasp. She started bobbing up and down. He lost himself in this pleasure. The inside of her mouth was warm, and her tongue was rough. This sensation was like nothing he felt before. A quiet moan escaped his lips for a second, but Manuel quickly stopped himself. Someone might pass by and hear.

Even so, this isn't a feeling he could just ignore. Something was building up inside of him. His breathing became even heavier. Scarlet's mouth suddenly left his member, letting the cold water make contact. She then took it back even deeper into her mouth, bringing him over the edge. A wave of pleasure took hold of him. This took Scarlet by surprise, his seed overflowed from her mouth. She started coughing. Manuel quickly came back to his senses.

"Shit! Scarlet, I am _SO_ sorry, I-I don't know what came over me!" She kept coughing until—

*Knock, knock, knock* "Manuel? Sweetie, is everything alright?" The two immediately froze. Blair was at the door. It took a moment before Manuel responded.

"Y-Yeah, I just...think I might be comin' down with something."

"Oh! Well I think we have some medicine for you. Anyways, I forgot to put towels in this bathroom."

"Just leave them on the counter! I'll put them on the rack when I'm done."

"Okay. I'm coming in!" Blair announced, opening the door. While Manuel remained silent, Scarlet was distracted. Traces of semen still remained on her hand. The scent was doing something to her, this burning sensation radiated throughout her body, especially between her legs. Even though this was her first time experiencing something like this, her mind is offering suggestions... She stared at the juices covering her hands.

"Oh, one more thing: dinner's almost ready, so hurry up."

"I'll be right down. I'm almost done."

"Kay. I'll be leaving now." The door clicked shut. They could hear her footsteps getting quieter and quieter... Manuel sighed in relief.

"That was too close... ...Scarlet?" Scarlet had just finished licking what was left from her hand. The little remaining on her face was washed away by the water... She was flushed an even deeper shade of crimson, and her eyes now glowed a bright pink...

"We have to stop... If we don't get out, they'll notice something is up."

_"But...I... "_ Manuel couldn't help but notice Scarlet's heavy breathing.

"Hey...you feeling okay?"

_"I...I_'_m fine..."_ Manuel tried to shrug this off to a result of...well, what happened.

"If you say so... Look, I'll leave first. I think you should stay a few minutes, so the others think you just got in. Sound like a plan?"

_"Yeah, sure."_ Manuel already stepped out of the shower.

"And...I'm really sorry about doing that..." The shower door slid shut. Manuel dried himself off, got dressed, set the towels in their proper racks, and finally left, leaving Scarlet alone in the shower.

_(What is this...?)_ Scarlet tried to make sense of this.

_(This feeling...)_ It was the same as when her and Manuel first started became this intimate; only this time, it isn't going away...

**Hey guys! Sorry to end things here. Again, college's a bitch, and it keeps me busy! Expect the next chapter coming soon!**

* * *

><p><strong>Grey: Nothing, bored, emotionally cut off, tired, still waking up<strong>

**Bright Red: Happy, playful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged, determined, impatient, serious**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, sadness, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love, lust**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment, jealousy**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, self conscious, scared of rejection, doubt, uncomfortable**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant, way relaxed**

**Purple: Mentally active, heavy thought, confused, mental abilities may act involuntarily**


	12. Chapter 10: Day 2 of Testing

**Chapter 10: Day 2 of Testing**

Inside the gym, an experiment takes place. It was just Manuel and one other person.

"Should a 15-year-old..._really_ be lifting this much...?!" Manuel asked with a strained voice, his eyes orange. Recording him was a woman scientist holding a chart.

"Just a little higher... Remember to breath..."

"I'm trying...!" His legs were trembling from the weight. This was too much for him.

"Aaand stop!" Manuel dropped the bar back on its rack. His body could finally rest. "...Three reps of 375 Lbs... Amazing! This is more than three times your body weight, and you're not even a real athlete!"

"Huff...huff..." Manuel sat on a bench near the unscrewed the cap to a bottled water and drank from it. He was covered in sweat from all the lifting he's done.

"Okay! Next I wanna measure how much power you can use."

"And how...?"

"Simple." The woman gestured to the punching bag. Connecting to a computer was a wire that had been taped down. The bag looked heavy. "With this, I'll be able to measure how many pounds of force you can exert."

"I just have to punch it...?"

"Punch, kick—it doesn't matter, as long as it's consistent." This was break from lifting, but Manuel didn't really have much fight in him. His breathing had finally returned to normal. But he approached the bag anyways.

(The sooner I'm done, the sooner we can go home...) Is what he thought.

"Ha!" He threw punch at the bag. It didn't shake very much.

"Only 300 pounds? That can't be right. Try again." Manuel took another breath, and then he punched.

"Ha!" The bag shook only slightly more.

"314 pounds? But that doesn't make any sense! What happened to all that energy?!"

"I-I..." His eyes turned dark green. The woman couldn't help but notice how exhausted he actually is. Manuel was hunching over.

"Don't sweat it, kid. You're probably at your limit, that's all! Let's take a twenty minute break, and _then_ we can keep going..." And that's how Manuel and the woman were on their way to the break room for a snack.

"Y'know, I have a daughter around your age. She's always in a rush, trying to hang out with her best friends."

"I'm kinda in a hurry myself..."

"Well there's no need to overdo it, or else you'll make mistakes,"

"I know, but...there's someone I wanna get back to."

"Oh, really? Like who?"

"Well..." His hand hovered over the break room door. At the same time a girl threw open the door and slammed head-first into Manuel. He hit the back of his head against the wall.

"—Oof!"

"—Ogh!" Despite the force, Manuel was the only one who was knocked backwards. He hit the back of his head against the wall.

"Bianca?"

"~Mom, I brought your lunch~!" She smiled as if unfazed by the collision. The girl was blonde and had green eyes. Atop her head was a lime green beret with a white bow. She wore a bright orange hoodie with a plain white T-shirt underneath. For pants, they were lime green capris. Her shoes were bright orange with little black bows as well.

"Bianca, look before you run! You just knocked into someone important!"

"Hm?" Her mother only pointed to Manuel, who squirmed on the floor. He was holding both sides of his head to protect himself.

"Was that brick?! Did someone just hit me with a brick?!" Manuel was doing everything to hold back tears. The girl became conflicted. She could either stay for a moment—apologize, potentially get chewed out by her mother—OR she could run like never before, and still catch up with her friends! The answer was obvious...

"S-Sorry, I'll make it up to you later!"

"Bianca, get back here this instant!" It was no use. The girl left in a matter of seconds. The woman sighed.

"Sorry about that... She can't seem to stand still..."

"What is her head made of...?!"

"Unfortunately, not even science has the answer..." After that incident, they headed inside the break room. Manuel was simply eating chips and soda, since there wasn't anything else in the vending machines. He wasn't as hungry. Manuel just ended up eating half the bag, then staring at it.

(I'm not hitting hard enough...) It's not like he was holding back on purpose, but Manuel never had a real reason to fight before, so even attacking a simple bag felt unusual to him.

"...What makes you angry?"

"Huh?"

"Try to think back to a time when you were mad, and let it all replay in your head."

"A time when I was mad...?" He looked at the flickering lights above him. "When was that...?" Everything was suddenly fading to white...

**\Flashback...\**

It was a nice, cold Autumn. The trees in Pinwheel Forest were swaying back and forth because of the wind. In front was a shy Riolu, turning around after putting on her new blue hoodie.

"Better?" The boy asked. It was Manuel, 12 years old again.

_"Better..."_ Her voice was rather shaky, but still happy. This Riolu was Scarlet.

"So how about a race to the bottom?"

_"Alright, you're on!" _Both children lined up near the porch, taking a runner's position.

"1..."

"2..." Just as Manuel took his eyes off the ground to stare at Scarlet, he saw a small red flash of light in the trees. His eyes flashed orange.

"Look out!" He screamed. Manuel threw her to the side as if on instinct. A robotic hand slams him into the side of the mountain.. His hood was pulled over him by the force of this, hiding his eyes in the shade. His head dangled there, limp.

_"Manuel!"_ That was all he heard before passing out for a minute. Things faded white again, transitioning just a little forward... Two Weavile now had Scarlet by the arms.

"Wow, this is gonna be easier than I thought!" The woman was grinning ear to ear. She was just about to take off with Scarlet.

"Then...then let me make things a little harder..." His voice was weak, but loud enough to be heard. She turns around, uncertain of who spoke.

"Who said that?!"

"I'm...I'm right in front of you...f" He spoke, still weak.

"Well well well, having trouble falling asleep?" She walks over to Manuel. "Let me help you with that." She gave another grin.

"You can... huff...you...huff..." He murmured back.

"What was that?" She squeezed the boy tighter with her metal hand. "Could you speak a little louder?" She smiled knowing this would make him cry out in pain. But to her surprise, there was no response.

"I said...huff...you can...just TRY, YOU BITCH!" He growled with a raspy voice as he picked up his head to look her in eyes. His eyes were glowing a menacing murky red. He was slowly but surely pushing back the metal hand.

"IF YOU WANT HER, THEN YOU'll HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME FIRST!" He screamed.

"Oh, that look in your eyes," She said with a smile. "I like it!" She beat him senseless. Hit after hit, his field of vision grew smaller. Whatever resistance he was using against the metal hand was gone.

(You...) All he could see was the woman beating him. Every detail of her was forever engraved into his memory. Her grey hair, her demented cyan-colored eyes, hiding behind that black visor, even her twisted smile. The woman's name was J, the Pokémon Bounty Hunter.

(I really hate you...!) His vision continued to shrink, until it was but the size of a pinhole.

(If anything happens to her, you'll pay...!) Another punch made everything turn black.

(You'll all pay...!) With one final punch, his head fell. Everything turned white again...

**\Now...\**

Manuel was back in the gym. In front of him was the punching bag. His shoes were resting against the wall. Manuel was swinging his arms around, trying to loosen them up.

"...Are you ready to begin?" Manuel took a deep breath, and took a step forward. His vision changed. The gym became a dim cave. The punching bag became a single Weavile, bearing its fangs in anger. He could hear the silent howl of wind. He needed to put his hands to ground just to be sure this if this was real. The dirt fell between his fingers. This is as real as it's gonna get. His eyes became orange.

"I'm ready..." His face became serious.

"Attempt no. 2 of power test... Begin." The Weavile suddenly took air into its lungs, taking in life.

"Haaaaa—!" Manuel took off, and so too did the Weavile. Its hands flashed a metallic grey. **(Metal Claw)**. Just as a claw was coming towards him, Manuel grabs the Weavile's wrist, pulling him close and elbowing its face. The Weavile staggered back and wiped its mouth.

"600 Pounds of force..." A faint voice echoed. For a split second everything shifted to reality. The punching bag was coming back, when in fantasy, the Weavile lunged with claws of ebony **(Night Slash)**. Time slowed down as the pokémon was in striking distance. With a mind of its own, Manuel's hand deflected the attack. He swung with his other hand. The Weavile slid further back.

"900..."

_"Grrrrrr...!"_ Its claws now flashed white, growing longer than before. Even its toes were glowing **(Fury Swipes)**. Both the Weavile and Manuel charged in. When the Weavile kicked, Manuel blocked by kneeing. Using his momentum to turn around, he dodged a claw to the face and drove his elbow into the Weavile's stomach.

"1,067..." As the Weavile staggered, Manuel sawked(punched) the Weavile right in the head. "1,289..."

When the Weavile flipped itself upright, Manuel was already sprinting, drop kicking the pokémon and knocking it out. "1,740... H-Hey! Take it easy!"

Manuel quickly came to his senses when he heard something crack. The Weavile against the cavern wall was now a punching bag against a cracked mirror.

"T-Too much?"

"..._IIII_ think we should call it day. I've recorded more than enough information."

"Right! I'll...just be getting my things now..." He looked for his shoes, so he could get out of this place.

**\Meanwhile...\**

Inside a white room, an experiment took place. Scarlet was surrounded by broken grey shards. Floating above her were to two glowing crystals. They were a deep blue.

_(Come on...! Concentrate...) _She was in lotus position, trying her best to concentrate. But telling from her blushing, her mind was elsewhere. It was impossible to be still. Her heart was beating in an irregular pattern, and so too was her heavy breathing. The air was hot and humid to the young pokémon, even with the AC on. Even her most lower regions weren't spared. Instead of focusing on the objects in front of her, Scarlet was thinking back to what happened yesterday; or rather, what could've happened. Various scenarios were unfolding. In one, she was lying on her back, against the bed. Their hands were laced together as Manuel was on top of her. In another, Manuel sat up as while she was riding him. Both were moaning loud into ceiling, no longer doing this outta of passion but lust. Both pairs of eyes were glowing pink as they were both lost in this bliss.

"I don't think I can take much...!" Manuel was begging for release. Scarlet wasn't listening to a word. Her arms and legs wrapped around him, not letting go. As Manuel tilted his head back, ready to release, something came over Scarlet... Claws emerged from her fingertips, digging to Manuel's back. She took a bite of his neck.

_"—Aah!"_ She suddenly gasped. Both crystals were pink, now exploded! There was a loud buzz, followed by a familiar voice from the intercom.

"Aaand test no. 126 is a fail..." Professor Juniper sighed. "Look, it's getting late. You can go on and head home. We'll try again tomorrow..."

**\\\**

Outside, the sky was a bright orange. The sun was already setting. The glass doors slid open, and out came Scarlet.

"Hey, there you are!" Manuel was waiting outside for her. His eyes were brown from the contacts, but he had an earnest smile.

"Ready to head home?"

_"Y...Yeah." _Her eyes were still pink, and her face flushed.

"Is everything alright?"

_"I'm just...not feeling well."_

"Oh... We'll see if Aunt Blair has any medicine for Pokémon. Come on!"

_"Okay..."_ As they headed home, Manuel couldn't help but notice how distant Scarlet was. Even if she were sick, she would normally walk beside right him. Now, she walks behind from a distance...

(I really did screw things up...) Manuel frowned. It's not like he meant for things to happen the way they did, yesterday. He even told Scarlet they shouldn't be taking things further just yet.

(What am I gonna do...?) He couldn't just leave things like this, and telling her no isn't an option.

(I'll just have to think of something... I just hope I can fix things...) They both head home...


	13. Chapter 11: Day 3 of Testing

**Chapter 11: Day 3 of Testing**

It was morning. Climbing the steps to Hilbert's front door was a boy with black hair and blue eyes. He wore a white T-shirt with a red tie. Over that was a light blue jacket. His jeans were black, and he had blue shoes that seemed to match with his jacket. The glare of the sun shined off his glasses. He was just about to knock when—

"Aunt Blair, we're heading out now!" Manuel announces, opening the door. Scarlet was right behind him.

"Okay! See you two when you get back!" The two were about to leave when they realized someone was in the way. ***A Cheren blocks your path! Had to be said...***

"Oh! Umm..."

"You're not Hilbert... " The boy moved closer to Manuel, raising his glasses and squinting to get a better a look at Manuel's face.

"As a matter of fact, I've never seen you before. ...Who are you?"

"I'm Manuel. ...Who are you?"

"Cheren Takenaka. ...Are those lenses prescription?"

"Huh?" It took a moment to register what he was asking about. (He knows I'm wearing lenses?!)

"...U-Uh, yeah. I'm actually near-sighted."

"Oh, hey, so am I..." He bluntly answered back. There was this moment of uncomfortable silence. He wasn't very sure how to keep the conversation going...

"Err...I'm kinda in a rush..." Manuel passed below the porch rail, already running in the direction of the Lab. "Sorry!"

"Hey, wait! Is Hilbert—?!" That was when Scarlet came out, leaping over the same rail and taking Cheren by surprise.

"Wh-Whoa!" He suddenly found himself leaning back, his feet slipping off the stairs. Just as he was gonna fall, Cheren was caught by the wrist.

"Hang on! I gotcha!" The one that caught him was none other than Hilbert, one of his closest friends.

"Easy, Cheren! It's not like you to just lose your balance." ^_^

"H-Hilbert! I-I was just..." Cheren found himself staring at the mysterious figure as it followed after Manuel. (Is that...a pokémon?) He turns back around to face Hilbert.

"...I was distracted, that's all!"

"Uh-huh. Sure you were." Hilbert had a smirk as he pulls his friend up. That's when he realized why Cheren was even here.

"Did ya get one?!"

"I..." His friend looked the other way. "I'm Sorry..." It took a moment for this to sink in, then Hilbert suddenly had this same expression.

"No way..." He sat on the front step, now staring at his own shoes.

"Yeah..." His friend quietly reached for something in his pocket. "There's no easy way to tell you this, but...I got you."

"I didn't think...they'd...say..." Cheren was holding a bright red Poké Ball in his hands.

"Ah? Ah? Admit it; I gotcha good!" ^_^

"I actually thought you weren't coming with..." Hilbert lets out a sigh of relief, smiling once again.

"What, and leave you alone with Bianca? Someone has to keep you guys outta trouble!"

"Speaking of Bianca, where is she?"

"Haven't seen her. I thought she was already here?"

"No, you're the only one..." The two pondered over this for a moment.

"...Maybe something came up?"

"That might be the case... Well, she knows where we'll be. Let's just go to Route 1 already."

"So we're _really_ gonna do this?"

"Nobody's gonna find out! And we'll stick close to the path so nothing bad happens." Cheren hops off the porch. "Let's get going!"

"Okay. If you say so..." Hilbert follows.

"This is gonna be awesome! I can't wait to see what this little guy can do..." The two sneak off to explore Route 1, with Cheren's newfound companion to protect them.

**\Later: Juniper's Lab...\**

"...Can I put my pants back on, now?" Manuel pleaded to the doctor, rubbing a sore cheek.

"Yeah, you're done."

"Seriously?"

"You only needed an immunization shot. Your file says you've never been given one for the flue."

"But what about my eyes?"

"Look, me and three others finished spending the two full nights checking through your medical records from top to bottom. There is nothing MEDICALLY wrong with you; in fact, you're more than healthy." Is what the doctor said before shoving Manuel out of the room. His eyes became murky red. He calmly put his hands behind his head and takes a deep breath...

(Can't believe I came all this way for nothing...!) Then he kicked a hole through the wall! Manuel quickly returned to his senses, his eyes now turning bright yellow.

(Ohshitohshitohshit, what is wrong with me?! I am _SO_ dead!) You could see right into the other room; fortunately, one of the chairs hid the hole from view. The people in the waiting room didn't seem to notice the hole just yet.

(Just calm down... Maybe I can fix this...) He looks around. Manuel was alone in this hallway. There was also a low-to-the-floor metallic bench down the hall.

(...) He lifted it over his shoulder, placing it down in front of the hole.

(...Maybe they won't notice?) Just then, one of the nurses pokes her head out from the door.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" The nurse looks both ways and sees nothing out of the ordinary.

"Hmm..." She only shrugged before returning inside.

(... ...HOW?!)

**\\\**

Manuel now wandered the halls, without a clue as to what he should do next. He casually had his hands behind his head as he thought to himself.

(Scarlet is being tested on, and I doubt Snivy would wanna bond with me over Juniper. That boy was probably one of Hilbert's buddies, so he's probably off somewhere. Maybe I could spend time with Aunt Blair? Hmm...)

"Manny! Hey—snap out of it!"

"What?" Next thing he knew, Manuel was actually in the middle of a black room. On one side was a console covered in buttons, a small monitor, and a tinted window opposite of where he stood. Professor Juniper sat in an office chair, staring at him. Snivy was fast asleep on her lap.

"...How'd I end up here?"

"You seriously don't remember? I just turn around and there you are."

"But I _KNOW_ I was in the hallway just a second ago!" He points at the door for emphasis. Juniper sighs with a reassuring smile.

"Yup, I guess you haven't changed _too_ much..."

"'Scuse me?"

"When you were little, you'd just pop up right next to me when I'd least expect it. I used to get so scared when that happened!"

"Really? I don't remember doing that..." In reality, he was probably standing here for like five minutes... He looks around to find it's just her and Snivy in this room. "So where's Scarlet, anyway?" Juniper pointed to the tinted glass. In contrast to this black room was an even bigger room, completely white. A few broken shards were scattered about and in the center was Scarlet, sitting with her legs folded.

"I'm trying to map out certain parts of her brain, so I can compare it to other Lucario. But I need her to use her psychic abilities for it to work."

"...But Scarlet doesn't have any."

"Oh, no, she does. The dear just can't seem to get it to work. You see, in addition to being physically strong, Lucario also have the same potential as any other Psychic-Type. This is why they can read minds and sense the aura of living beings." Manuel was only paying attention to Scarlet. A crystal lifted off the floor and turned blue. It tilted in various directions before turning pink. It suddenly became a projectile, bouncing off the walls at random!

_"Eep!"_ She immediately ducked for cover. The crystal shot down right next to Scarlet, breaking into several tiny pieces! _"I hate these stupid rocks! And whoever created them!"_

"Aaand attempt no. 238 is a fail..." Professor Juniper groaned, leaning back in her chair. "I just don't understand. These rocks easily respond to the brainwaves of any creature nearby, and it can't get a single one off the ground. A hatchling should be able to do this, so why not it. All it needs to do is try building something with these?"

"Her!" Manuel corrected with an irritated tone. "Her gender is obvious. Why do people call her an 'it'?!" His eyes were now murky red.

"O-Oh, sorry! Guess I forgot..." His eyes returned to normal. He could plainly see Juniper didn't mean to offend, she was just tired.

"We've been at this for two days, and she hasn't gotten any closer..." Manuel took another look at Scarlet. She was just as frustrated as Juniper. He unconsciously headed for the door.

"You can't enter when there's a test in progress!"

"Just give her a few minute's break. She can't get anything done if she's tired." Juniper had to consider it for a moment.

"Well, you _ARE_ her Trainer. You probably know her limits better than I do... ...Go." She gave him the green light.

**\\\**

Scarlet was trying again. A crystal became blue as it left the floor. It calmly floated in the air.

_"Finally!" _She tried picking up another. The closer she brought the two, the stronger the force repelling them became. It was difficult, but she was doing it. ...At least until the two actually touched. They both turned pink, but one exploded as if it were a light bulb while the other became a projectile like the rest.

_"Aw, come on!"_ She already knew the drill: hit the deck! But the crystal never bounced around. Instead, the crystal found its way into Manuel's grasp. He smiled with bright red eyes.

_"What're you doing here?"_

"...I'm all done."

_"Already?"_

"Only 'cause they have no idea what's up with me..." Manuel stared at all the shards that were scattered about. Unlike the crystal in his hand, every shard was a lifeless grey...

"Shouldn't this be easy for you?"

_"These stupid rocks don't wanna listen!"_ She threw herself back in frustration. He could already tell how exhausted Scarlet is. The room was nice and cool, but Scarlet was sweating like crazy.

"I think you should take a break...try again when you've calmed down."

_"What about—?" _

"I already talked with Juniper. Go ahead—you've earned it!"

_"I..."_ Her eyes turned pink. She actually wanted to give him a hug, when the image of her burying her teeth into Manuel's neck returned. She suddenly backed away...

_"Umm... I should go."_ She passed him by and left the room. For some reason, Manuel didn't leave. His eyes were now turquoise. He was still looking at the crystal in his hand. It went from bright red to turquoise, matching his mood.

"I thought they were similar somehow..." His expression became one of curiosity. Both his eyes and the crystal turned purple. There was this odd sensation coming from the crystal, almost identical to the spoon from Sid. This is literally made to be easy. In fact, all he had to do is open his hand ever so slightly, and the crystal escaped on its own.

"I wonder how many of these things I can carry?"

**\\\**

_"I'm...sorry it won't work..."_ Scarlet apologized as she walks in, wiping the sweat from her face.

"..."

_"I'll try harder next...time?"_ She noticed Professor Juniper was staring; not at her, but what was going on in the other room. _"...Is something wrong?"_

"..What in the world is he doing...?" Her eyes were now wide open. Now she had Scarlet curious.

_"What? What's going on?"_ She stood behind her and peeked in. Manual had a total of six crystals, all green, in his hand. They were shaped to be a little stick figure. Juniper immediately stood up, letting Snivy fall to the floor.

_"Oof! Wh-Wh-What's up! Are we battling?"_ Snivy was now fully alert...and clueless. Juniper pressed a button on the console.

**\\\**

"They're like toys, more than anything..." He smiled, both his eyes and the crystals became bright red.

"...Manuel?" Professor Juniper's voice carefully called him from a speaker.

"Yeah?"

"Turn around and face me, please?" Manuel hesitatingly did so. He actually thought he was in trouble.

"...What is that?"

"Mm, not sure. But I'm thinkin' of calling him George..."

"...George?" The figurine was waving hello with one of its arms, but Manuel's attention was on the several fragments on the floor. "...We have any more of these things?" Instead of Juniper's voice, he heard Snivy and Scarlet.

_"Hey! Will someone please explain what's happening?!"_

_"Shhh!"_

_"But I can't see!"_

_"Then I'll carry you, just be quiet!" _The speakers cut out.

*Ker-chunk!* Behind him, a panel in the wall opens up, along with another. Both panels were actually drawers. One was full of complete-crystals, while the other was full of broken bits and pieces. Like looking into a toybox!

**\\\**

_"—Just hold still!"_

_"—Put me on the console, so I can see for myself!"_ The two were still bickering, even when Scarlet was carrying Snivy.

"Stop!" Juniper calmly demanded. Though she was talking to Manuel, both Pokémon went quiet. Juniper suddenly became more serious. She flipped a series of switches. Dozens of panels on the walls and ceiling opened up and popped out. She created a variety of obstacles in seconds. "RECORDING IN PROGRESS," is what a red sign within the room informed. She turned the dial next to the monitor clockwise, turning it on.

**\\\**

"Okay. I'm gonna be recording you now. Can you answer some questions?"

"Yeah, shoot!" Manuel casually replies. With each lift of his finger, another crystal was lifted from the drawer, until he had more than enough. He started with his first obstacle: a simple block poking out from the floor. His eyes turned purple as he made each one go over.

"...How long have you been able to do this?"

"Less than a month...I think." The last crystal to go over bumped into the edge of the block, flipping over. It was only a light tap, but the crystal cracked. "I'm still not very good at it..."

"...You say that, but you're carrying twenty-four of those rocks." The second obstacle was another block poking from the wall. He was supposed to bring crystals under this time. The first one broke. "Make that twenty-three..."

"This stuff is different than regular objects. Your rocks are light as feathers, but a simple tea kettle is like heavy a boulder to me... "

"Would you like to know why...?" Manuel remained quiet, approaching the third obstacle: a block with a hole in the center. It grew smaller further in. Knowing his aunt, she would probably explain the reason anyway.

"What you're carrying is called, 'Mythrilite.' It works the same way as a computer, processing the information it receives. That information is what gives it color. When a creature sends a specific thought or command, Mythrilite attempts to fulfill that command..." The crystal in front touched the edge of the inner wall, colliding with the second and third. They all bursted into particles tiny as sand.

"Careful, now. It becomes fragile when active..." Manuel had to pay more attention. This is harder than expected. He fed them through with more care than before.

"Humans can't lift this with their minds, even when it should be possible. This is because, as humanity developed different types of machines and electronics use, we started using less and less of our latent potential, until we didn't need it all..." The next obstacle was a metal ring that rotated on its horizontal axis.

"Realistically speaking, what you're doing isn't normal..." This obstacle looked difficult than the others. The ring spun at a medium speed. Manuel attempted it anyway.

"Pokémon are different, however. Just because they can't talk like us doesn't mean we're smarter. They can easily lift heavy objects, or transmits their thoughts from a distance. The part of the brain that houses their psychic potential is greatly developed compare to ours." Manuel already broke another three trying to get the crystals to pass through.

"Having trouble? It's okay to give up..." Manuel silently declined. All obstacles have some way of being overcome. It's only a ring that keeps on spinning. What was there to do?

(Would this count as cheating?) He reached for the ring, as if to pull against it. Mentally, he was holding the ring still, even when motorized-parts were fighting against him. He began feeding them through, one by one. When he was sending the last crystal across, Manuel's hold on the ring slipped. He lost one more. These rings were made of real metal, so took a lot of concetration to stop.

"So you figured it out. You're doing great, keep it up..." He was only half-done with this course. Ahead was not one, but two rings. One spun horizontally while the other vertically. He did the same things as before, using both hands to keep the rings still while still feeding the crystals across... Despite the difficulty, this was starting to become natural to him.

"...Where did you learn to do this? Was it from Scarlet?"

"No. It was Sid... An Alakazam I met a few years back..."

"...Why did he teach you?"

"He was originally helping me sort out my feelings. But we'd occasionally take breaks from this; if I behaved, he'd teach me how to bend this spoon he always kept..." The rings suddenly reversed themselves. Manuel lost three more, but stopped them before anymore crystals could break. This was getting increasingly difficult...

"...Is there anything else you can do?"

"You mean apart from understanding a Pokémon? No."

"How exactly did the incident happen? She was a Riolu when you two first met, right?"

"When I first met her she was..." Both the crystals and his eyes became turquoise as he recalled the state she was in.

"But you couldn't understand her just yet, so did something occur?"

"I..." They then suddenly flashed pink in his remembrance. It was time of their first kiss. "...Can't remember at all." Two more crystals bursted on their own.

"Nothing at all?"

"...No."

"...You're almost done. Just one more..." This was the final obstacle: two large rings with two pairs of smaller rings spinning faster than usual. They orbited around the center. The larger ones were impossible for him to stop, unless he wanted to be dragged... He had to be careful when putting them through. Two more were lost when the rings reversed. Another four were lost because one caused a chain reaction with the other three. He was down to only a few crystals. Now the pressure was really sinking in. He was already at his limit. His mind gave out on the final ring breaking almost every single crystal. What remained was only a single one. But he was already at the finish, so it was easy to make it through. He completed the course, but barely.

"...That's it; you're all done!" Juniper's voice returned to normal, seeing as he didn't need to concentrate anymore. The course was putting itself away, leaving Manuel with this light-headed sensation. When he was sure the camera was off, he pocketed the crystal instead of putting it away in the drawer.

**\\\**

_"I never knew he could do that..."_ Snivy spoke up.

_"I'm surprised he finished..."_ Juniper pressed down on the intercom button.

"I think were done for today... You should go home and rest."

"Really? But we've only been here for two hours..." His aunt was looking closely at the monitor. It was a complete 3-D rendering of Manuel's brain. A disc ejected from it as well. She took it right away.

"I need to look over the data. It's gonna take time to do that. You should probably stay home tomorrow as well." A sudden wave of exhaustion takes over him. He leaned against the doorway for support.

"I didn't expect to be this tired..."

"Well I didn't expect my nephew to make things float out of boredom!" She bopped him in the head with the paper envelope containing the disc. "Look, I've probably been pushing you guys too hard. Maybe you two can take a look around town, or go make some new friends?"

"Well, it's true we haven't done anything since we got here... Scarlet, what do you think?"

"I don't think you should be walking around when everything is spinning! Can't we rest at your aunt's?"

"You're probably right... Let's just go..." Even with Manuel having trouble to stand, Scarlet was reluctant to help him. She stayed closer and kept an eye on him, but that was it. The two would go home together...

**\Later...\**

"Take these." Blair handed Manuel two little red pills and a glass of water. He took both and swallowed, setting the glass on the table. He laid back on the couch. "Just keep laying flat, and you'll feel better in a couple minutes."

"Got it. Thanks..." Manuel only laid down and watched TV. Blair was in the kitchen, "doing things."Scarlet was upstairs for some reason, or rather, she was avoiding him on purpose.

(Didn't think it was this bad...) Manuel mentally sighed. He looked ready to pull his own hair. Trying to think of a way to patch things up just made his headache worse. The pain was in the right side of his head, and it was intense.

(Urgh! I can't even think! *Sigh* I give up... I'll think of something tomorrow...) He rolled over and closed his eyes. Manuel was planning on going to sleep early. He'd rather fall asleep here than in bed with someone who was upset with him.

**\Meanwhile...\**

Heavy breathing could be heard from inside the room, as Scarlet was tossing and turning. Her face was a deep shade of red. Her hands travel down to her briefs, tracing the entrance of her womanhood.

_"Whats wrong with me...?!"_ She whimpers. That same thought ran through her head. The scenario where her and Manuel are lost in the same pleasure. Neither of them would care about anything else, just as long as they stay connected like this. And just when neither of them could hold back any longer, something comes over her. She just bites into his neck out of nowhere! Like something out of a horror flick.

_"I can't control myself..."_ For some reason, the thought of sinking her teeth into him excited her, and that's what scared her the most. Part of her wants to do those things with Manuel, even biting him like that! Something programmed into her brain is telling here to. There was a familiar substance running down her leg now. Her urges were finally calming down.

_"I just won't do those things...I can't..."_ She wiped the tears from her eyes with the blankets.

_"Even if it hurts... I need to stay away, at least until this goes away..."_ This was easier said than done, though. Just the sight of him, sets her off...

**\Back Downstairs...\**

Manuel somehow managed to drift asleep, even with the TV still on...

"...In other news, we are already half-way into the Pokémon Mating season. You heard right. This year, Pokémon of the Human-like egg group are going nuts. If you're a trainer, it is recommended that you let nature take its course. Males are sure to act quick if they find a female in heat, and will get violent if needed. Signs of a female in heat are: Easily distracted, reserved from males, more alert than usual, and trouble concentrating. Do take the utmost caution when traveling..."

**Hey guys, sorry for the wait! I made sure to read everyone's comments, and my decision has been made! Look forward to the next few chapters to find out for yourself. Don't forget to review, and thanks for readin'!**

* * *

><p><strong>Grey: Nothing, bored, emotionally cut off, tired, still waking up<strong>

**Bright Red: Happy, playful**

**Orange: Excited, physically active, over stimulated, full of vitality, reflexes**

**Murky Red: Angry, enraged, determined, impatient, serious**

**Turquoise: Compassion, grief, worry, sadness, depression**

**Pink: Passionate, love, lust**

**Dark Pink: Immaturity, denial, embarrassment, jealousy**

**Dark Green: Insecure about self, self conscious, scared of rejection, doubt, uncomfortable**

**Bright Yellow: Fear, panic, surprised**

**Pale Yellow: Scared of losing control**

**Deep Blue: Calm, pleasant, way relaxed**

**Purple: Mentally active, heavy thought, confused, mental abilities may act involuntarily**


End file.
